The In an Instant episode “Hanging in the Balance” features the story of Kelli Groves, a 36-year-old first grade teacher and mother in Southern California. In January 2012, she was driving on the highway when she saw a truck coming right at her. She slammed on the breaks, spun and found herself and her two daughters (10-year-old Sage and 10-month-old Mylo) dangling over the side of a bridge. A 100-foot drop. When the firefighters came to their rescue, she remembers hearing one of them say, “Whatever we do we better do it fast or we’re going to lose this one.” Luckily, a US Navy construction crew (Navy Seabees) drove by and had the forklift needed to support the car as the Groves family was pulled out. All three survived.
The truck plunged over the bridge and burst into flame. The driver, 48-year-old Charles Allison, Jr. died at the scene. The coroner reported that Allison had methamphetamine in his body at the time of his death: “He [Allison] was at the level where people exhibit aggressive behavior or have hallucinations.” In an Instant airs Saturdays at 9pm on ABC.