WOODBRIDGE, VA — On Saturday morning, Freedom High School teacher Amanda Kicker stopped to put air in her tires as she drove to babysit for a friend. Minutes later, she would be run over by her own car, dragged for 100 feet, and left screaming for help with several broken bones.
Kicker is still in the hospital receiving treatment for broken ribs, a broken scapula, a broken pelvis, and damage to both knees. However, she remains optimistic about the future. Kicker spoke to Patch on Tuesday and said she’s comfortable talking about the accident.
Before the accident, Amanda stopped at the Exxon gas station on Prince William Parkway to put air in her tires. She remembers putting the car in park before filling up the rear passenger side tire.
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“I put it in park,” Kicker said. “I swear I’d put it in park, all the way to the top.”
As one of the tires filled with air, her vehicle started to roll forward toward a retention pond.
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“My first instinct was ‘Well, where is the car going? I need to save my car,'” she said. “If I don’t have my car, I don’t have a job. I can’t get money, because I can’t get to work.”
Last school year, Kicker took an Uber to work each day. She saved enough money to buy her car in July, and she said she couldn’t afford to return to Uber as her main mode of transportation.
“My first instinct was to save the car. I ran to the front of the car to try to stop it,” she said. “I didn’t really put two and two together, but I’m 90 pounds and I cannot stop the car.”
Eventually, Kicker was backed against the curb. She isn’t sure if she tripped or her foot got caught under a tire, but she fell to the ground. Then, the front driver’s side tire rolled over her.
The car then dragged her about 100 feet as it continued toward the nearby retention pond. Kicker suffered scrapes, bruises, and burns as her car dragged her forward. Then the rear driver’s side tire rolled over her knee, chest, and collarbone.
“I screamed at the top of my lungs, ‘help me,’ about five or six times until someone came over to me,” Kicker said. She noted that about ten bystanders were in the area, unsure of what had happened.
Part of the reason Kicker shared her story is so people can be better prepared if they witness an emergency like this. No matter what, call 911, Kicker says.
The American Heart Association’s CPR and first aid classes urge people to be specific when asking someone to call 911. It’s always better to specifically assign the task to a bystander rather than broadly asking “someone” to call 911.
“If you are able to call 911 in a situation like that and you’re there, call 911,” Kicker said.
First responders quickly arrived on the scene and provided emergency care. An ambulance traveled along the shoulder of I-95 to take Kicker to a trauma center in Fairfax.
Kicker’s car ended up partially submerged in the pond; a tow truck took it away. Kicker’s family said insurance will not cover the cost of damage to her vehicle.
“I honestly think that sharing my story makes me stronger,” Kicker said from her hospital bed on Tuesday.
Kicker noted that she has also been inspired by the community support for her since her accident. A GoFundMe started by her sister has raised more than $2,300 in one day.
“I’m just blown away,” Kicker said about the support from the GoFundMe. “I’m completely blown away because these are people that I don’t even know.”
The fundraiser has been shared by Kicker’s immediate family, old friends, and coworkers. The link was also posted in a Prince William County Schools Facebook group.
In her four days at the hospital, Kicker has already fielded multiple visits from friends and coworkers. Her co-teacher, Scott Kelly, visited along with Kicker’s “work mom,” Nicole Jackson-Williams.
They brought flowers, a personal card, and a card signed by Freedom High School’s science department.
“When I saw them, I broke down,” Kicker said. “They are my best friends at work, and I would not be as strong as I am without those two individuals being there for me every single day.”
For Jackson-Williams, visiting Kicker in the hospital was a no-brainer.
“We start the day off by comparing our commute into work,” Jackson-Williams told Patch. “She was noticeably absent on Monday. When I heard what happened, I had to go see her.”
Jackson-Williams noted that Kicker’s demeanor hasn’t changed, even as she begins to recover from traumatic injuries.
“Amanda is such a bright light and brings so much of what this world needs,” Jackson-Williams said. “No matter what the problem may be, Amanda has a positive outlook and is always so kind and thoughtful to everyone. She deserves the same kind of energy in reverse.”
Kelly shared similar sentiments about his biology co-teacher with Patch. Jackson-Williams described Kicker as a great advocate and supporter of her students, and Kelly agreed.
“Amanda brings such an excitement for trying something new and she is a huge cheerleader for the students in the classroom,” Kelly told Patch. “When I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by the many responsibilities of a teacher, I also feel inspired again by her enthusiasm in working with the students.”
Kicker said her time at Freedom High School has been a blessing. She likely won’t be able to teach again this school year, but she hopes to visit her students at least once before the end of the year.
“I miss my kids so much,” Kicker said.
Three different students have already emailed Kicker and wished her well in her recovery. Though teaching at Freedom comes with its own challenges, Kicker said she wouldn’t want it any other way.
“I’m blessed to be at that school and have that support,” she said.
Kicker told Patch she can’t wait to return to the school next year. She previously taught in Fairfax and Loudoun County, but Kicker emphasized that Freedom is a special place.
“I want readers to know how beautiful that building is and how much it’s changed my life,” Kicker said. “This school has brought back my love of teaching.”
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