An expectant mother recovering after tree fell on her car
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - An expectant mother is recovering after lightning struck a tree and fell on her car while she was driving.
It happened on Dunwoody Road and Mount Vernon Highway.
"I just felt a boom and everything shattered. I was saved by literally a millisecond," said Jessica Zlotcavitch.
Looking at the damage, it's hard to believe Zlotcavitch and her unborn baby walked away unharmed.
"My first reaction... I'm pregnant. I'm seven months pregnant, and I was just hoping my baby was okay," said Zlotcavitch.
Zlotcavitch says she was making a morning run to the grocery store when lightning struck an oak tree near Mount Vernon and Chamblee Dunwoody Road. The tree brought down power lines and destroyed her whole car.
"Thankfully, a bystander a man by the name of Kyle Palmer. He's my hero. He ran and tried to pull on the door and get me out," said Zlotcavitch.
"When I got there, I found Jessica. All the windows had been shattered out. There was a large branch that had punctured the hood of the car," said Kyle Palmer, a bystander who helped Zlotcavtich.
Palmer was driving by when it happened and immediately jumped into action.
"I had to pry the door open to get her out and that took some time," said Palmer, "Finally we were able to get her out of there and through the powerlines."
"I was spared thanks to someone who risked their life for me who didn't have to," said Zlotcavitch.
Zlotcavitch says the whole ordeal has given her a new perspective on life.
"Right now, I'm so happy and feel so blessed to be alive and come back to my family," said Zlotcavitch.
Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.