In a remarkable display of bravery and quick thinking, 12-year-old Maddie Weiler transformed from an ordinary girl into a hero when her family encountered a traffic accident on John Taylor Highway.
Her mother, Brandie Weiler, had stopped to assist in the accident, unaware that her daughters would soon face a harrowing ordeal.
It happened in a flash.
As Brandie stepped out to help and call 911, the man responsible for the crash menacingly approached the van where Maddie and her younger sister Mollie were waiting.
Maddie’s initial response was to lock the doors.
But the man was faster, forcing his way into the vehicle after unlocking the door through an open window.
The intruder, speaking incoherently, attempted to drive away with the girls.
Maddie, however, was not one to give in easily, especially with her sister’s safety at stake.
She told ABC News:
“I was so hyped up on adrenaline, so I wasn’t really scared. I knew what I needed to do.”
Luckily, she had a trick up her sleeve.
She cleverly put the van in drive, a safety feature that prevented the vehicle from starting, and prepared to take action.
“Nothing passed my mind except, ‘He is a psycho and he needs to get out of the car’,” Maddie recounted to WTKR.
In a fearless response, she began to punch the man, screaming for help.
This brave act allowed her sister Mollie enough time to escape from the van.
Mollie, shaken by the event, expressed her amazement at her sister’s courage:
“I thought he was going to take us. It was amazing because she has never done that.”
It’s a plan that worked.
The assailant, thwarted by Maddie’s actions, exited the van and attempted another carjacking, only to be stopped by the timely arrival of the police.
The perpetrator, identified as Paul Salsman, was arrested and faced multiple charges, including attempted carjacking and driving under the influence of drugs.
Turns out, the girls’ parents had taught them some very valuable lessons.
Maddie and Mollie’s ability to handle the situation was influenced by their family background; their parents, both police officers, had trained them for such scenarios.
Steven, the girls’ father, expressed his pride and surprise at Maddie’s quick thinking, particularly her use of the car’s safety feature.
“She has always been told if anyone tries to take you, kick, scream, bite, hit, gouge out their eyes, whatever you have to do,” he shared with WTKR.
Despite her heroism, Maddie did not emerge unscathed; she suffered a fractured growth plate in her wrist.
Mollie, on the other hand, came away with a newfound appreciation for her sister’s protective instincts, realizing that she would always have a big sister ready to defend her.
Maddie’s advice to others in similar situations is straightforward and empowering: “Just fight them.”
Watch the video below to see an interview with the brave young hero!
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Source: YouTube – Inside Edition, ABC News, WTKR3
