On January 1, 2023, Reagan Simpson ‘23, and her younger brother got into a tragic car accident. Reagan was driving at about 11:31 a.m. on West Stagecoach Trail at Heller Lane in rural Galena. She was driving to work when she suddenly hit an icy part of the road.

Simpson lost control of her vehicle on some icy pavement. While trying to regain control, she over-corrected, causing the car to drive off the roadway, hit several trees, and come to rest in a deep ditch. “As this was all happening all I could do was close my eyes and pray,” she said.

 After Simpson crashed she called 911. When the police and ambulance arrived they had to cut her out of her car and drag her out of the ditch. “Sawyer got out of the car and flagged down a car, the firefighters came and cut off my doors and dragged me out by a board,” said Simpson. She and her younger brother were taken by ambulances to Mercy Hospital in Dubuque. After being checked out it was determined that Simpson’s only injuries were glass in her hand and a hurt ankle. “Mercy staff was really kind and walked me through everything…it made it less scary,” she said.

Simpson is very thankful to make it out with only a few scratches. She is now a little afraid to drive when snow is on the ground, but she still made it to school two days after the accident. “I didn’t want to come to school, but I wanted to see my friends,” she said. “I knew my education was more important than me laying in my bed.”