A Split-Second Decision: How Michele Bailey Saved a Child’s Life

Last Friday afternoon, 56-year-old Michele Bailey was behind the wheel of her Lexus, driving with her daughter’s 3-year-old foster child in the backseat. It was an ordinary drive—until another vehicle ran a stop sign and sped toward them. In that split second, Michele was faced with a life-or-death decision. With traffic in front of her and to her left, she turned the wheel hard, deliberately absorbing the full force of the impact on the front passenger side. It was the only way to shield the little girl strapped securely in the backseat.

The crash was devastating. The car flipped three times before coming to a stop. Michele was pinned in the wreckage, her body broken but alive. The child hung upside down in her car seat, crying but conscious—a testament to both the car seat’s protection and Michele’s quick thinking.

Bystanders rushed to the scene, working together to flip the vehicle upright while waiting for paramedics. Both Michele and the child were rushed to the hospital. The toddler suffered a broken leg but is expected to make a full recovery. Michele sustained multiple injuries—including fractures to her arm, sternum, ankle, and ribs—along with extensive bruising.

From her hospital bed, Michele has deflected any talk of heroism. “I did what I could,” she said quietly. “And God was there to watch over us.”

Those close to her know it was far more than instinct. It was an act of love, courage, and selflessness. In one critical moment, Michele put the child’s life before her own—and because of that, the little girl will get the chance to grow up, to run, to laugh, and to live.

Her story is a powerful reminder of how ordinary people can make extraordinary choices when it matters most.