PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — A Connecticut mother is recovering after sustaining life-threatening injuries while assisting victims of a crash on Interstate 95 on Saturday.
Ashley Taunton, 42, was aiding after a car hydroplaned on I-95 south during heavy rainfall in Hopkinton when she was struck by another vehicle. According to her husband, Joe Taunton, Ashley was returning home from Newport with one of their daughters when she witnessed the incident.
Joe Taunton reported that Ashley exited her vehicle to help the teenage occupants of the crashed car, instructing her daughter to stay inside and call him. While assisting one of the boys, she was hit by a vehicle that also lost control.
Ashley was initially taken to Westerly Hospital before being transferred to Rhode Island Hospital, where doctors identified extensive internal injuries, including damage to her intestines and liver, and a ruptured diaphragm causing a lung to collapse. Joe confirmed she has undergone three surgeries and is now off life support.
“She should be able to walk again, God willing,” he said, emphasizing the hope stemming from her ability to communicate with him.
In an unexpected twist, the Tauntons learned in the hospital that the teenager Ashley rescued was the son of one of her longtime friends.
The Taunton family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover medical bills and additional expenses as Ashley embarks on her recovery journey.