Taylor Swift Donates $50,000 to Connecticut Mother Injured Helping Teens on I-95

A Generous Donation

Taylor Swift has donated $50,000 to a GoFundMe page set up for Ashley Taunton, a 42-year-old certified nursing assistant from Connecticut who was seriously injured while helping teenagers after a vehicle hydroplaned during an intense rainstorm last month. Swift also left a comment on the page: "Wishing you the best recovery possible and sending love to your family!"

According to the Hartford Courant, the GoFundMe has raised more than $75,000, with funds earmarked for medical expenses not covered by insurance, daily household bills, gas and travel costs for commuting to the hospital, and groceries for Taunton's three children.

The Incident and Injuries

Taunton was driving with her young daughter on I-95 South in Rhode Island when she spotted a group of people with car trouble. She pulled over about 30 yards from the stranded vehicle and spoke with the driver and two passengers, all teenagers. As she stood by the roadside, another passing vehicle hydroplaned and hurtled toward her; she pushed a nearby teen out of the way before being struck.

Taunton was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, including bilateral internal carotid artery dissection, liver and spleen lacerations, multiple rib fractures, and a ruptured diaphragm, as reported by the Hartford Courant. Her recovery, including physical therapy, could take up to 12 months.

In an interview with WJAR, Taunton described the moment she was hit: "I just saw a car coming really fast. I got hit. It felt like being rolled by a huge wave, but way much more intense."

The injured teen was pushed out of the way and was not severely hurt.

Family's Response

Taunton's husband, Joe, told WJAR that the donation overwhelmed them: "I had to go outside and take a second and kind of just process everything. Very overwhelmed."

Joe said the donation will help ease the burden of mounting bills and allow the family to pay some of that generosity forward. "It's huge for bills and we have been able to bless some other GoFundMes that I see," Taunton added.

Beyond Swift's gift, Taunton said the support from friends, neighbors, and complete strangers has left her speechless. She hopes the incident will bring more attention to safety along that stretch of I-95.

The donation came after weeks of surgeries and recovery, when the family was dealing with the physical and financial toll, as detailed by WJAR.