JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman and her kids are thanking bystanders and first responders for helping them get to safety after a crash on Christmas Day.
"I just saw my life flash before my eyes," Ayanna Montes said.
Ayanna Montes and her three kids were on a road trip from Jacksonville to Kissimmee to visit family for Christmas. Montes says she was driving her 2018 Kia Sorrento south on I-95 near mile marker 271 in Volusia County when she says she lost control of the car and flipped into a ditch filled with about three feet of water.
"Our car, the steering wheel locked, when it locked, the brakes locked as well. We hit straight into the metal pole, we flipped four times," Montes said.
Montes says multiple people rushed to get them out safely. "Those people have saved us. We would have drowned in that car."
Along with all their Christmas gifts. First responders stayed behind, forming a human chain fishing their gifts from the car. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office says the items were taken to the hospital for the kids.
Montes says the crash was traumatizing. Her 7-year-old son suffered a broken wrist. Everyone else walked away only with cuts and bruises.
"I saw the gateway to heaven. Then God pushed me back because he was saying you need protect your mom. You need to go back. You need to live a life," passenger Andrew Whisenant said.
"It was so much water everywhere. It was just really worried about you know them. But also, I was just like, I just got them their gifts. I just wanted to make them happy," Montes added.
The family says they need help financially.
"We lost our car, transportation. We have bills, school. We've got to get places, appointments, therapy. So it's just been a lot," Montes said.
They have set up a GoFundMe.
Florida Highway Patrol says the crash is under investigation.