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Charlotte woman dials 911 with her toes after hands crushed changing tire

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. — A Charlotte driver was trying to fix a flat tire, but her car fell and crushed both her hands. Somehow, she managed to keep a clear head and then, she used her toes to get help.

The 54-year-old woman was driving from Florida back home to Charlotte Sunday night when her car got a flat tire off I-95 in a rural area in Colleton County, South Carolina.

It was dark so the woman used the flashlight on her phone to try and change the tire.

“She got the flat tire off and was in the process of installing a spare when the jack slipped and the car fell down and crushed her bands between the tire and the fender,” Colleton Fire Chief Barry McRoy said. “She was able to get one shoe off after about 30 minutes of trying and was able to dial 911 with her toes.”

McRoy said the whole process took around 35 minutes.

“She wasn’t able to actually discuss it with the dispatchers, but the dispatchers could hear her screaming,” McRoy said. “They used GPS to get her exact location and sent fire and rescue units up there.”

A prybar helped get one hand free, but a hydraulic spreader was needed to lift the car up to free the other one.

“She was in a lot of pain, but she was very calm,” McRoy said. “The fact that she was able to use her head and manipulate the phone was incredible because she was out there all by herself in the dark.”

McCoy said the woman has severe damage to both hands and fingers, but she has since been released from the hospital.

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