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Dear Subaru, I Walked Away

What happens when a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek slides off the road, flips three times, and hits a tree? Did the driver sustain life-threatening injuries? She should have but walked away instead. Here is Kenzi's incredible survival story. 

Dear Subaru, Thanks for saving my life.

That's what Kenzi wrote in a letter to Subaru of America after she had an accident in her 2014 Subaru Crosstrek. Here is Kenzi's remarkable story after sliding off a rain-soaked road, flipping three times, and hitting a tree. 

Kenzi says, "Little kids have dreams of being things. And mine was of becoming a Division 1 athlete. Like a lot of athletes, I have pre-race anxiety. What if I'm not good enough? What if I'm not fast enough? What if I forget how to swim? Especially in a sport where you get one chance to prove it all. You don't get a redo."

Meet Kenzi, a passionate swimmer from Shalimar, Florida. Her love for swimming is unparalleled, having been on a swim team since kindergarten. Her first car, the 2014 Subaru Crosstrek, played a crucial role in her life, especially in her commitment to her sport.

"She's very determined, and I couldn't ask for a better daughter," Cyndi said.

Kenzi says, I drive about an hour to get to swim practice, and my first car was the 2014 Subaru Crosstrek. I knew they were supposed to be safe, but you never know until you're in an accident.

The day of the accident, I had woken up, and honestly, something told me not to go to swim practice. It was like, you should just sleep in.

It rained a lot before I got up, which is what I didn't realize. They had just recently paved that road, so it had oil pulled up at the top, making it very slick.

I ran off the road, and then my car started to flip. My car flipped three times. And then, all of a sudden, I just hit a tree. The shock and fear were overwhelming.

Cyndi says, My cell phone rings, and it's her.

I was like, Mom, don't freak out, but I just crashed my car, and I'm pretty sure it's totaled.

Cyndi says, "I was like, where are you? Are you OK? Are you bleeding? I ran to get there, and the two police officers told me that when they saw that car, they had not expected to see any survivors."

"Besides a few little scratches, I was fine, but I had, like, tree things sticking through my hair, and I was covered in dirt and rain," said Kenzi.

Her mom decided to take her to the hospital to be evaluated even though she was not injured. The fact that she could walk away from such a horrific accident is a testament to Subaru's safety features.

It sounds weird, but honestly, a couple of hours later, I was like, "I still need to swim." 

The insurance company totaled her Crosstrek after the accident.

After my crash, I decided to reach out to Subaru. My Subaru saved my life, and that's the reason I wanted to make this video to say thank you to Subaru.

"I owe my ability to still swim to Subaru's amazing safety standards. I am not a statistic. I am a survivor."

Dear Subaru, Thanks for saving my life, lifestyle, and all the things that I love.

Cyndi says, "Thank you so much for saving her life. We will always be a Subaru family."

On social media, Kenzi says, "Hey guys, so I've got some really exciting news; say hi to my brand-new Subaru Outback Wilderness!"

Right after my accident, we, of course, knew I needed a new car. And after what I'd just gone through, we all knew we would get a Subaru.

As soon as I saw the 2024 Outback Wilderness, I knew that was supposed to be my car, and I've been happy ever since.

Kenzi's story is a powerful testament to the safety of Subaru models. The Subaru Crosstrek, even at ten years old, proved to be a remarkably safe vehicle, a fact that should reassure all potential Subaru owners. 

Here is what I wrote in my report ten years ago about Crosstrek's safety tech in 2014

Subaru is the only automaker in the world with the distinction of earning IIHS Top Safety Pick awards for every model it builds and has done so for four consecutive years. This is not an easy task, but Subaru has been committed to safety since the 60s when they began conducting their tests long before any official testing was performed.

Subaru has been producing the safest cars in the world, but they are unsatisfied with past success. Subaru improved occupant protection in small overlap crashes by structurally enhancing their 2014 models. 

Beginning with their 2014 models, Subaru significantly improved occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes. This is a result of Subaru engineers improving the already effective ring-shaped reinforcement frame used in Subaru vehicles.

Subaru's ring-shaped reinforcement frame has been used for over a decade and has proven very effective. 2014 models have been enhanced even more to provide better protection in the structure, increasing cabin rigidity and absorbing impact energy from any direction. This design gives superior protection and enables all their vehicles to keep achieving these safety awards year after year.

This proprietary design has helped the 2014 Impreza and XV Crosstrek earn top honors alongside the rest of Subaru's lineup. Changes were also made in the 2014 models to the curtain airbag placement and the new structural reinforcements.

Kenzi purchased a 2014 Subaru model, hoping she would be driving one of the safest cars on the road. Now she knows it is because the Crosstrek saved her life. 

Kenzi says, Dear Subaru, I can't thank you enough for saving my life. Your safety features in the 2014 Subaru Crosstrek made all the difference.

Have you been in an accident in your Subaru?

I want to hear from Subaru owners who may have been in an accident while driving a Subaru. You can comment using the red 'Add new comment' link below. 

Watch: Dear Subaru | Episode 4: I Walked Away YouTube video.

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Writer since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReportAll Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierlFacebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Subaru

Comments

Edward Clough (not verified)    September 22, 2024 - 2:53PM

I love seeing stories like this, I have owned 4 Subarus and currently am the proud owner of a 2023 WRX. Not only do I love the speed and handling, I love the safety it offers as a family car as I am a father to two boys both under the age of 10. My ex wife had hit a tree after falling asleep at the wheel driving a Subaru Baja and walked away. Huge props to Subaru and their safety. This is why I will continue to drive one for good.

Janet McCune (not verified)    September 22, 2024 - 6:07PM

I’ve been a Subaru owner since the late 70’s. I’ve owned nearly every model from the first year the Legacy was produced to Outbacks and several Foresters. The Legacy I mentioned was in (6) accidents. None that were my fault. One accident I was hit by a car trying to cross traffic and hit me on the passenger side, the impact sent me over a curb and into the corner of a building. The people working inside ran out to see what shook the building to see my pretty red car with a “V” in the center of the hood from the building. All that I had was a sore chest from the seat belt. Another situation was I went off the road into a road fence that was protecting the road. Unfortunately when it was towed out the undercarriage was damaged. The car was totaled. It was about 8 years old at the time and had some dings in it but I was surprised that the insurance company gave me $13K to put towards a new car. I purchased another Forester and will continue to be a Subaru owner as long as I’m driving. I also have convinced friends to purchase Subaru’s just by slamming the door! Safety counts.

Trevor (not verified)    September 22, 2024 - 6:19PM

I also had a car accident in May of this year. It should have been a worse accident. But my 2016 Subaru WRX with a CVT and Eyesight saved my bacon.

I was driving on a county single lane east/west road and I was going west bound and a brand new 2024 Acura RDX was coming at me going eastbound.

I had right of way with a turn approaching me from the right side about 200 ft away.

The Acura turn into me to go to that road; but they didn't signal, stop, or yield to my right of way. To make matters worse they stopped in the road.

I was doing 30 mph and my Eyesight couldn't even react quick enough.

The it all happened in less than 2 seconds.

My driver front bumper go smoosh to the firewall and the engine was pushing down and away from my feet. The airbags deployed and I walked away.

My new car is now a 2023 solar orange WRX Limited CVT (the 2016 was also a Limited CVT in pearl white) and I will keep driving this model. The safety is top notch.

Krista Barela (not verified)    September 22, 2024 - 8:38PM

On August 7, 2023, My daughter ( 11 months old then) and i, as well as an ex boyfriend, his teen daughter and her friend were leaving a state fair in south WA state headed home to have dinner. We were 5 minutes from our house, at a stop light and were hit from behind by a drunk 76 year old woman who was 3x over the legal limit. She hit the passenger side my daughter was on, straight on the frame of my 2018 subaru forester. The impact itself pushed us so far forward, we managed to not hit the car in front of us since my ex and I both believe in leaving a large gap in case of an accident. It was close. The damage was so extensive that the drunk woman's insurance paid for a new carseat for my daughter, 3 months of a rental vehicle while also fully paying for all the repairs my car required. My daughter and the girls had no physical injuries past minor whiplash, but the 2 older girls have fallen behind in getting their licenses and still have high anxiety for driving and being in the drivers seat. The 2018 subaru forester frame saved the girls and I couldn't be more thankful. My daughter is now an accomplished happy little traveler over a year later, with me in our forester as we travel across the country to train dogs. Thank you Subaru of America for taking the time to make the subaru frames as strong as the one on my 2018 is. It didn't even bend.

Hk (not verified)    September 22, 2024 - 8:40PM

My wife and I hit a deer going about 55mph 3 months ago. 2018 Crosstrek. The brush line was close to the road, and the deer came out of nowhere. No time for either the car or my wife to react.

Back country road, miles from anywhere.

Everyone that arrived, from the cops, the friends who came to help us, to the tow driver, were all astonished we walked away from it.

The car and deer were both totaled, by my wife and I both walked out of the accident with nothing but some bruising from the airbags.

In the ~90 minutes we were at the scene, we never saw another car aside from those we called there. Had the car not done such an amazing job protecting us, it could have been hours before anyone knew we were there. I am 100% convinced that car saved our lives.

Needless to say, we bought a new Crosstrek.

Rey Centeno (not verified)    September 24, 2024 - 9:59AM

Dec. 5th, 2023 I was driving my wife, her brother and our 4 month old newborn baby back from visiting family in Montana. We were in our 2017 Subaru Forester. About 2 hours into our drive, Subaru made a lifetime customer and friend out of me. We were going about 60 mph along a mtn side when out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of what looked like a large snowball falling down the mtn side. As quickly as I looked over, the snowball had disappeared into the deep ditch. Then just as fast, it bounced out of the ditch directly in front of us. In the time it took me to get my foot off the gas pedal and onto the brake it was too late. We hit a Boulder the size of one of those red concrete balls you see in front of the Target stores. Every airbag deployed and I couldn't see anything. All I could think was we just met our little Miller and that was not enough time with him! Somehow I managed to get our car off the roadway into the only section of shoulder barely big enough to allow for a vehicle. We were also in a curve where semi trucks were coming around the bend. Had our Subaru flipped or was stuck in the road, I may not be writing this story, but she held her ground long enough to get us to safety. Nobody sustained any injuries and to my surprise, the Subi looked fairly good for hitting such a large Boulder dead on at 60 mph. We went right back out and bought a 2024 Subaru Forester Wilderness. Thanks for saving my family Subaru.

Paige (not verified)    September 24, 2024 - 11:48AM

This story touched me. In 2020 I was hit by a drunk driver and rolled my 2011 outback 3.6r twice! Myself and my passenger both walked away from that accident. I was able to immediately get out of the car and ran to make sure my passenger and the other driver were okay. I was able to get all vehicles turned off and everyone safely away from the crash scene. Unfortunately I sustained life long muscular and nerve injuries. However, I thank Subaru every day for being alive. Police and EMS were all shocked that I was the driver of that vehicle. They believed I shouldn't have even been conscious after that crash. It warms my heart to see everyone's stories. The reasoning behind what has brought us all together is unfortunate. But it does feel good to see such a warm community of Subaru lovers! I will never own any other vehicle brand than Subaru again

Rick M (not verified)    September 24, 2024 - 12:55PM

Always get checked out medically after an accident! I had a friend become a paraplegic a day or to after a car accident he walked away from because of an undiagnosed vertebrae fracture

Kris Bartrim (not verified)    September 24, 2024 - 4:01PM

I was rear ended by a P Plater doing a speed of 80 - 90 klm. I had just begin to move after waiting for a Cane Loco to cross and lights to stop flashing red when I was hit. My XV Subaru was hit hard and pushed up the Highway. The car protected me....I was lucky!

Samantha rivers (not verified)    September 25, 2024 - 7:44PM

I recently had an accident with my 2014 crosstrek, I hit a deer going 55 mph in a dark area, my subaru may have taken damage but I walked away without one scratch. After the accident I had to buy a new car, I am now an proud owner of a 2021 crosstrek.
My family will forever be a subaru family after the literal life saving safety of subaru.

Ferdinand Mwit… (not verified)    September 26, 2024 - 7:15AM

My name is FERDINAND from Nairobi Kenya, In support of Kenzie's story, I own a Subaru Impreza 2008 and was involved in a fatal accident that rolled twice, despite the age of my car I didn't sustain any injuries whatsoever and everyone was wondering how is that possible! Thank you so much SUBARU. I still need another car and definitely it's SUBARU XV this time