While sitting in the passenger seat, Brown was scrolling through the TikTok videos that she had made earlier that evening. She was attempting to select which of the movies she would share.

Up until that point, everything seemed to be joyful, carefree, and light to the touch. The last thing that Brown, who is 18 years old, recalls from April 13 is glancing down at her phone, and the next second, she felt a shock as the vehicle rapidly rocked, as if it were spinning.

“For the first few seconds, I knew we were crashing, but my mind was in complete shock,” she says in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. Aside than closing my eyes and cradling my arms over my head, the only thing I could do was shut my eyes. I am not sure whether my mind just slowed things down, but in all honesty, it seemed as if we were going to crash for what seemed like an eternity. The very last thing I can remember doing was letting out a single scream just before everything stopped working.

What transpired after that was a haze. In and out of awareness, Brown could be seen drifting. She did not find out what had supposedly caused the accident until much later: a drunk motorist who was driving at an excessive speed had smashed into them from behind, which caused their vehicle to soar several feet into the air, according to her interpretation.

After some time had passed, she was informed that Etienne, who had been in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, had repeatedly yelled her name after the vehicle had eventually touched down in the woods. Brown, on the other hand, was slouched over the glove box and seemed unconscious; she had not been wearing a seatbelt at the time.

“I can’t help but think about that particular part,” she adds. “I can’t help but think about what it must have been like for him to be there at that very time, to witness me standing still, not responding, and seeming as if I could have passed away. He must have been filled with terror. The fortitude that he needed to discover, not just during the collision but also in the immediate aftermath of it.

She continues by saying, “He ended up carrying me out of the car through the window,” and she also mentions that a guy who had been riding a bicycle nearby and watched the collision also raced over to assist a person who was injured. In the event that the positions had been switched, I am not sure whether I would have been able to have the courage to carry out what he did. It’s likely that I would have just frozen.”

What transpired after that was a haze. In and out of awareness, Brown could be seen drifting. She did not find out what had supposedly caused the accident until much later: a drunk motorist who was driving at an excessive speed had smashed into them from behind, which caused their vehicle to soar several feet into the air, according to her interpretation.
The teenagers from Florida were ecstatic as they drove home after prom. Then, all of a sudden, their vehicle was in the air.
After some time had passed, she was informed that Etienne, who had been in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, had repeatedly yelled her name after the vehicle had eventually touched down in the woods. Brown, on the other hand, was slouched over the glove box and seemed unconscious; she had not been wearing a seatbelt at the time.

“I can’t help but think about that particular part,” she adds. “I can’t help but think about what it must have been like for him to be there at that very time, to witness me standing still, not responding, and seeming as if I could have passed away. He must have been filled with terror. The fortitude that he needed to discover, not just during the collision but also in the immediate aftermath of it.

She continues by saying, “He ended up carrying me out of the car through the window,” and she also mentions that a guy who had been riding a bicycle nearby and watched the collision also raced over to assist a person who was injured. In the event that the positions had been switched, I am not sure whether I would have been able to have the courage to carry out what he did. It’s likely that I would have just frozen.”
During the time when Brown was gradually regaining consciousness, she discovered that she was sitting on the ground when the emergency services arrived.

She was contacted by two first responders, who immediately started treating her and advised her to call her sister, who was the only person she knew would answer her phone at that hour: her sister. Brown reveals to her sister, “I know I blew up my parents’ phone after getting off that call.” Brown’s sister is the one who makes the statement.

She recalls the voices of the first responders and Etienne, who was seated next to her in the vehicle, beginning to seem distant. Etienne was also there throughout the incident. She experienced a blurring of her eyesight, tingling in her fingers, and an inability to move her neck.

Brown adds, “I was emotionally manic, crying, and in a lot of physical pain,” adding that at that time, she had recovered the most of her consciousness. “I was in a lot of pain physically.” “To tell you the truth, I was simply really terrified about everything. Is this going to happen? Just what is going to take place with me? Does Malachi have any chance of being okay? The fact that the entire thing was still not making sense to me was another reason why I was perplexed.

It was at that point that everything really began to strike me, and I started to dread that I was going to die. “That moment was probably the most intense because it was when everything started to hit me,” she recalls. “I remember closing my eyes and praying out loud to God, asking that if He could hear me, please help and protect me and let me make it out okay,” they said. “It was a very difficult time for me.”

What transpired after that was a haze. In and out of awareness, Brown could be seen drifting. She did not find out what had supposedly caused the accident until much later: a drunk motorist who was driving at an excessive speed had smashed into them from behind, which caused their vehicle to soar several feet into the air, according to her interpretation.

After some time had passed, she was informed that Etienne, who had been in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, had repeatedly yelled her name after the vehicle had eventually touched down in the woods. Brown, on the other hand, was slouched over the glove box and seemed unconscious; she had not been wearing a seatbelt at the time.

“I can’t help but think about that particular part,” she adds. “I can’t help but think about what it must have been like for him to be there at that very time, to witness me standing still, not responding, and seeming as if I could have passed away. He must have been filled with terror. The fortitude that he needed to discover, not just during the collision but also in the immediate aftermath of it.

She continues by saying, “He ended up carrying me out of the car through the window,” and she also mentions that a guy who had been riding a bicycle nearby and watched the collision also raced over to assist a person who was injured. In the event that the positions had been switched, I am not sure whether I would have been able to have the courage to carry out what he did. It’s likely that I would have just frozen.”
During the time when Brown was gradually regaining consciousness, she discovered that she was sitting on the ground when the emergency services arrived.

She was contacted by two first responders, who immediately started treating her and advised her to call her sister, who was the only person she knew would answer her phone at that hour: her sister. Brown reveals to her sister, “I know I blew up my parents’ phone after getting off that call.” Brown’s sister is the one who makes the statement.

She recalls the voices of the first responders and Etienne, who was seated next to her in the vehicle, beginning to seem distant. Etienne was also there throughout the incident. She experienced a blurring of her eyesight, tingling in her fingers, and an inability to move her neck.

Brown adds, “I was emotionally manic, crying, and in a lot of physical pain,” adding that at that time, she had recovered the most of her consciousness. “I was in a lot of pain physically.” “To tell you the truth, I was simply really terrified about everything. Is this going to happen? Just what is going to take place with me? Does Malachi have any chance of being okay? The fact that the entire thing was still not making sense to me was another reason why I was perplexed.

It was at that point that everything really began to strike me, and I started to dread that I was going to die. “That moment was probably the most intense because it was when everything started to hit me,” she recalls. “I remember closing my eyes and praying out loud to God, asking that if He could hear me, please help and protect me and let me make it out okay,” they said. “It was a very difficult time for me.”

After that, she is unsure if she passed out or fell asleep, but the next time she opened her eyes, she was in the intensive care unit (ICU) with her clothes torn and covered in blood. According to the medical professionals, she had suffered a fracture in her neck, namely in her C4 and C5 vertebrae. After sustaining a cut to his eye, Etienne had also been subjected to surgical intervention.

If the impact had been even slightly different, or if the fracture had changed just a few millimeters, the medical personnel said that it was quite possible that she would not have lived. What is even more astonishing is the fact that Brown was not thrown from the car despite the fact that she had not been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. They explained to her that the only reason she had not been flung out of the vehicle was because the seatbelt had somehow been entangled around her and kept her in place.

When asked about the sensation, Brown replies, “I can’t exactly capture the feeling, but it was very heavy.” In spite of the fact that I was unaware of the fact that I shouldn’t have been able to make it out of the automobile, much alone make it to the emergency room or to the following morning, I was able to succeed in doing so. In a single instant, I would have vanished into thin air forever. “This is a peculiar sensation.”

She goes on to say, “While I was in the intensive care unit, I didn’t really think much.” “I didn’t even know being in there was such a big deal until I was out of the hospital.”

Brown was released from the hospital after struggling through a few days that were both lengthy and challenging. It is now the case that she is wearing a brace at all times. Before she can completely recover, she anticipates that she will need physical therapy, and she is already in the process of arranging surgery.

“I know it’s all temporary,” she adds, “but it’s a long recovery process.” ” I know it’s all temporary.”

“The whole thing alone has been really hard,” she further elaborates. “My most recent prom from high school was a debacle. At the time of my graduation, my neck will be shattered. The intentions I had to join the military have been derailed, and I am now experiencing a great deal of restriction in every aspect of my life. To tell you the truth, it has been rather dismal all around, but I am certain that I will be OK in the end.

Brown was released from the hospital after struggling through a few days that were both lengthy and challenging. It is now the case that she is wearing a brace at all times. Before she can completely recover, she anticipates that she will need physical therapy, and she is already in the process of arranging surgery.

“I know it’s all temporary,” she adds, “but it’s a long recovery process.” ” I know it’s all temporary.”

“The whole thing alone has been really hard,” she further elaborates. “My most recent prom from high school was a debacle. At the time of my graduation, my neck will be shattered. The intentions I had to join the military have been derailed, and I am now experiencing a great deal of restriction in every aspect of my life. To tell you the truth, it has been rather dismal all around, but I am certain that I will be OK in the end.

“For a few days, the majority of the people who were there were those who knew me personally,” she adds. Over the course of time, I began to get an overwhelming number of comments and letters of support from individuals all over the globe who were sharing their own personal experiences and tales that were similar to mine. It didn’t feel like I was all by myself. Having the opportunity to be seen and encouraged by a large number of individuals who are completely unaware of any information about me has made me feel a great deal more optimistic. It instilled in me a desire to be sturdy. My eyes continue to well up with tears whenever I go back and read all that was written.

“While I obviously wanted to advocate for the topic of drunk driving and its effects, I also want everyone who sees my story to know that no matter what obstacles you’re thrown, no matter how hard it gets, you are going to be okay,” she explains further. “Have patience. It is true that life goes on, that time will pass, that you will get stronger, and that the difficult times will eventually go. “You are not going to be unable to move forward indefinitely, nor are you going to be in pain indefinitely.”