Melbourne pastors save woman trapped in car after I-95 plane crash: 'God was in control'

Melbourne pastors save woman trapped in car after I-95 plane crash

Two local pastors rushed to help a woman after her car was struck by a small airplane on Interstate 95 Monday night, authorities and witnesses said. Pastor Annie Wigley pulled the driver from the vehicle, dodging traffic to reach her, while her husband, Bernard Wigley, recorded the chaotic scene. The couple said they believe divine intervention helped prevent a far worse outcome.

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Two Central Florida pastors rushed to help a woman after her car was struck by a small airplane on Interstate 95 Monday night, authorities and witnesses said. 

Annie Wigley pulled the driver from the vehicle while her husband, Bernard Wigley, recorded the chaotic scene. 

The backstory:

A small plane crashed into the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Brevard County on Monday night, right during the evening commute. That plane struck at least one vehicle, sending one person to the hospital, officials said.

The crash happened around 5:45 p.m. on the southbound lanes of I-94, near mile marker 201, in Cocoa, Florida, a spokesperson for Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said.

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The FHP said the aircraft – a fixed-wing multi-engine Beechcraft 55 – was attempting to make an emergency landing on the freeway when it collided with a 2023 Toyota Camry. There were two people aboard the plane: the pilot, a 27-year-old man from Orlando, and a passenger, a 27-year-old man from Temple Terrace, officials said.

Neither were hurt in the crash.

The save

The Wigleys were driving their daughter to Orlando International Airport on Monday evening when they saw what they thought was a drone or large helicopter very close to the road. Moments later, they realized it was a small plane that crashed on the interstate.

Bernard and Annie Wigley immediately pulled over and raced to help. Annie’s a trained nurse, so she jumped into action trying to pull the woman from the wreckage.

"I knew it was God that saved her absolutely, even the two pilots that landed and only hit the one car. I knew God was in control," said Annie Wigley.

The Wigleys are pastors at Thy Kingdom Come ministries in Melbourne and say they were praying while driving to the airport.

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They believe God intervened to not only save the woman in the car but also the two pilots on board. They know things could have been much worse with an explosion or other cars impacted and are thankful God protected everyone on Monday night.

"That could have been total destruction, total destruction. That could have 12 to 15 cars. There could have been fire from the fuel of the plane and total chaos like something you see in a movie," said Pastor Bernard Wigley.

What's next:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating what caused the crash. There is no word on whether the woman in the accident was released from the hospital.