Ashley Taunton was struck by another vehicle while helping teenagers escape a car that had hydroplaned during heavy rain.
HOPKINTON, RI — A Connecticut mother of three remained hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after she was struck while helping a 19-year-old driver following a crash on Interstate 95, according to her family.
Ashley Taunton, 42, had been traveling home from Newport with one of her daughters Saturday when she saw a vehicle hydroplane off southbound I-95 and enter a wooded area in Hopkinton. Her husband, Joe Taunton, said she pulled over, told her daughter to remain inside their vehicle and ran toward the wreck to help its teenage occupants.
Taunton was helping pull one of the teenagers away from the crashed vehicle when a second car hydroplaned and moved toward them, her husband told NBC 10 News. He said his wife placed herself between the approaching vehicle and the teenager, taking the impact and suffering extensive injuries.
The 19-year-old driver Taunton helped escaped with minor injuries, according to local reporting. His mother, Jamie O’Rourke, identified him as Vinny and said he had been driving home when his vehicle struck standing water and left the highway. Additional information about the drivers and vehicles involved has not been released.
Emergency crews first took Taunton to Westerly Hospital. She was later transferred to Rhode Island Hospital, where doctors treated injuries to her intestines and liver, according to her husband. She also suffered a ruptured diaphragm that caused one lung to collapse and a severe leg injury that required surgery.
Joe Taunton said his wife underwent three operations and was taken off life support as her condition improved. She was able to communicate with him, he said, though she continued to face a long and uncertain recovery. Doctors expected her to regain the ability to walk if her recovery continued without major complications.
The families discovered an unexpected connection after arriving at the hospital. Joe Taunton said the teenager his wife had helped was the son of one of her longtime friends. The families did not recognize the connection until they met in the emergency room waiting area and discussed what had happened on the highway.
Joe Taunton said his wife’s decision to stop was consistent with how she treats people in need. Taunton is also the creator of the social media account 3 Little Lamb Homestead, where she shares posts about family life and her Christian faith with more than 33,000 followers.
Friends, neighbors, members of the family’s church and people who follow Taunton online have offered support since the crash. Her family established an online fundraiser to help cover medical bills and other expenses expected during her recovery.
Taunton remained under hospital care as of the latest family update. Authorities had not publicly released a detailed crash report or announced whether citations would be issued. The circumstances surrounding both vehicles’ loss of control remained under investigation.
Author note: Last updated July 24, 2026.