Professionals say the most important thing to do is protect the head.
A Las Vegas woman who jumped from a moving car to escape a man allegedly posing as an Uber driver is opening up about how she mustered the courage to make the fateful leap.
Elizabeth Suarez, 27, said she had to act fast to save herself from who she believed was a kidnapper back in July.
“It was my instinct that told me, 'Get out of that car — however you can, get out," she told Inside Edition. "I just remember pain everywhere in my body, and just tumbling out and the last thing I remember is hitting the back of my head."
Suarez suffered a fractured wrist, broken ankle, and a head injury that required seven staples.
Her story is one of several tales of survival involving a leap from a car.
In Tallahassee, Florida, 19-year-old Brooke Adkins said she called 911 when her Uber driver refused to let her out last month.
She eventually decided to roll down the window and dive out, suffering cuts to her knees and foot as a result.
Jumping out of a moving vehicle is extremely dangerous, but it could be your only choice if you are held against your will. And there are steps you can take to at least lessen the risks.
Inside Edition stuntwoman Tammie Baird shared some tips to lessen the risk of injury while getting out of a potentially dangerous situation.
“Look ahead at where the driver's going, to make sure it's safe for you to jump out of the car because you don't want to jump out if you're close to a curb or a bunch of street signs," she said.
To make sure she wasn't injured in a demonstration, Baird wore safety padding and leaped onto a mat.
“I'm pushing the door with my left hand and putting my left foot in the door," she explained. "Just in case that door swings back at me so that I can prep to jump out. I'm going to leap as far out of the car as I can. I’m going to leap here and the inertia of the car is going to make me roll."
Always make sure you protect your head when diving out of a vehicle, Baird added.
RELATED STORIES
