The singer donated to Ashley Taunton after the Connecticut mother was critically injured pushing a teenager out of the path of a car — only to later discover she had saved the son of a longtime friend.
Taylor Swift has donated $50,000 to a GoFundMe campaign for Ashley Taunton, a 42-year-old Connecticut mother who suffered life-threatening injuries after pushing a teenager out of the path of a car on Rhode Island’s I-95.
The donation came after Taunton stopped to help a group of teenagers whose vehicle had hydroplaned during a rainstorm. As she was helping them, another car lost control and came toward the group. Taunton pushed one teenager to safety but was struck by the vehicle herself.
What makes the story even more remarkable is what Taunton learned afterward: the teenager she had helped was the son of a woman she had known for 14 years.
How Ashley Taunton was injured on I-95
Taunton was driving south on Interstate 95 in Rhode Island in July with her youngest daughter when she encountered the crash involving a group of teenagers.
She stopped roughly 30 yards from the original crash site and went toward the stranded vehicle. The driver and two passengers were teenagers, and Taunton initially believed they appeared relatively okay.
The situation changed within moments.
Another vehicle traveling southbound lost control on the wet road and hydroplaned toward Taunton and the teenagers. With almost no time to react, she pushed the teenager closest to her out of the vehicle’s path.
Taunton was hit instead.
She later described the impact as feeling like a major explosion. She suffered severe injuries, including bilateral internal carotid artery dissection, liver and spleen lacerations, multiple rib fractures and a ruptured diaphragm.
She was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and underwent two major surgeries, with additional treatment expected.
Doctors have estimated that her recovery, including physical therapy, could take up to 12 months.
The teenager she saved turned out to be someone she knew
The connection emerged only after Taunton was hospitalized.
Her friend Jamie O’Rourke saw Taunton’s husband and daughter at the hospital and learned that Ashley had been struck while helping people on I-95.
O’Rourke immediately recognized what had happened.
The teenager Taunton had pushed out of the path of the car was Vinny, the son of O’Rourke. Taunton had actually met him years earlier, in 2020.
The discovery transformed what initially appeared to be a stranger’s roadside rescue into something deeply personal for both families.
O’Rourke described Taunton’s decision to intervene as courageous, saying she had put herself in danger to protect her son.
Taylor Swift’s $50,000 donation
Swift subsequently donated $50,000 to Taunton’s GoFundMe, making it the largest single contribution to the fundraiser reported by the sources.
As of August 28, the GoFundMe had raised more than $64,000. A separate Meal Train fundraiser supporting Taunton’s family had collected more than $16,000.
Swift also left a personal message with her donation:
“Wishing you the best recovery possible and sending love to your family! Taylor.”
The donation was confirmed by PEOPLE and also reported by Billboard and other outlets.
Taunton’s road to recovery
Taunton, a certified nursing assistant and mother of three, remains focused on recovering from the injuries she suffered while helping people she initially did not know.
Her family expects the process to be lengthy, with physical therapy and further medical treatment potentially continuing for months.
Speaking from the hospital, Taunton said the experience had changed how she viewed everyday life. She said she no longer wanted to postpone spending time with friends and loved ones because circumstances can change without warning.
For Taunton, the July crash began as an attempt to help strangers. She later discovered that the teenager she protected was connected to someone already important in her life.
And now, weeks after the crash, Taylor Swift’s $50,000 contribution has brought another layer of attention to her recovery.
