Coarsegold, Calif. – On Friday, July 18, 2025, 14-year-old Emma and her mother, Danielle, were driving from their home in Coarsegold to San Francisco to attend a concert by Emma’s favorite band, My Chemical Romance. The mother-daughter trip was to celebrate Emma’s recent graduation from the 8th grade. Danielle had meant for this to be a dream come true for her daughter, yet it took a tragic and nearly deadly turn. While traveling at highway speed, westbound on auxiliary Interstate 580, just east of Altamont Pass, their car was struck by a metal tire rim.
The Accident
The rim smashed through the passenger side of the windshield, striking young Emma directly in the face and the left side of her body. She was immediately knocked unconscious by the blow. After the accident, authorities were unable to determine how or why the rim struck the vehicle. There were no disabled vehicles along that stretch of the freeway, and Danielle could only tell them that the rim had appeared out of nowhere.
Danielle managed to pull the car to safety despite the chaos of the situation. She feared for her daughter’s life, calling 911 while doing her best to stay composed in the face of uncertainty. Her child lay bleeding and unconscious in the seat beside her, mouth hanging slack and eyes open but unfocussed, and she feared that she was watching her daughter’s life slip away.
As she spoke to the emergency dispatcher, attempting to explain what had just happened and provide the location of the accident, she heard Emma ask, “Mom, are you okay?”. This signaled to Danielle that all was not lost and that her daughter was still alive.
The Rescue
The Tracy Fire Department was the first on the scene, and thanks to their heroic efforts, Emma was safely extracted from the vehicle and transported to San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, on the outskirts of Stockton…