CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte father is crediting his daughter’s iPhone with saving her life after a crash on Interstate 485.
Takaia Williams was involved in an accident last month, and her phone’s crash detection feature automatically called for help.
The crash detection feature on Takaia Williams’ iPhone alerted emergency services and her father, Tyrekus Williams, with her location after she veered off the road due to a distracted driver.
“I was trying to look for my phone, and I couldn’t find it to, like, call my parents, call 911, call people to help. So I just had to resort to just yelling and screaming,” Takaia Williams said.
Williams was trapped in her car and unable to reach her phone, but minutes later, she saw firetrucks arrive on the scene.
“There was an accident detected... Takaia had been in a car crash, 911 has been notified, and it sent the pinpoint location of where she was located. That feature, I feel like, saved her life,” said Tyrekus Williams.
The crash detection feature is part of the Emergency SOS setting available on iPhone models 14, 15, and 16. When enabled, it automatically alerts emergency services and designated contacts with the user’s location after a severe crash. Google Pixel phones also offer a similar setting.
After spending three weeks in the hospital, Takaia Williams is recovering from a broken femur, shattered hip, and two back fractures. She and her father emphasize the importance of having emergency contacts set up on phones, as it can be crucial in unexpected situations.
“Make sure that everybody who you are around have emergency contacts, because you will never know when that will like play out or when you really need it,” Takaia said.
Tyrekus Williams is advocating for improved road safety measures in North Carolina, including better lighting and cameras on interstates.
The family is still waiting for information from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol regarding the driver who caused the crash.
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