Mother saves children from sinking car

BEDFORD, Ind. - Slick roads caused a Bedford woman and her two young children to have a near-death experience when their car plunged into a freezing cold pond.

Kortni Peek, 26, was on her way to work Wednesday morning with her two baby girls in the back seat. She had just left her driveway in Lawrence County when she hit a slick spot and lost control.

"It's the most scared I've ever been in my life," said Peek. "Of course you never think it's going to happen to you."

She said looking back, the accident seems surreal. Her husband, Caleb, still can't believe it.

Eight-month-old Maggie and three-year-old Ella were buckled in the back seat. Kortni knew there was little time to think about the rescue.

"I just kind of went into react-mode and did what I needed to do. I don't feel like a hero. I just did what I needed to do to save them. I knew either we were all getting out or none of us were," said Peek.

Peek said she rolled down the driver's side window before the SUV was fully submerged, unbuckled the girls and got them into the front seat.

"I pulled them out of the car and started swimming with them. I had them in my fists like this to try and keep them out of the water," recalled Peek. "It seemed like once we got into the water, it wasn't any time at all until we were safe. So, I was thankful for that. It didn’t matter how cold it was at all."

Peek and her girls walked about a tenth of a mile to a neighbor's house for help. They all went to the doctor after they dried off and everyone checked out okay.