Jefferson woman urges seatbelt safety after accident

JEFFERSON, Ga. - Jamie Murray can’t remember much from her childhood. At age 15, she was riding in the hatchback of her friend’s car when she fell from the back.  

“All I remember is lying on the ground, wanting to get up and it felt like a boulder was on my head,” Murray told FOX 5.

As a result of the accident, Murray sustained a severe Traumatic Brain Injury, which causes trouble with memory, concentration, attention or thinking.

“I have panic attacks daily,” she said. “I’m terrified of driving.”

Murray admits riding on the back of her friend’s car was a mistake, which is why she wants to share her story with others to warn about the dangers of riding without a seatbelt.

“With the extinct of my brain injury, I should not be sitting here,” Murray said. “It’s not worth it.”

Despite the lasting effects of her injuries, Murray is thriving. She’s now 25 and a mother of four kids. She recently acquired her GED and is studying to become a cosmetologist.

Although she has not regained all of her childhood memories, Murray is hoping her story will be a cautionary tale for others.

“It can ruin someone’s life,” she said. “You don’t think about these things until after something happens.”