Something that NO parent should EVER have to bear

By Angie Landon Dunsworth

Miranda Dunsworth

On the night of June 20, 2012, Miranda was spending the afternoon with her boyfriend. Hours went by and it started getting late, and still no sight of Miranda. A rush of emotions went through my body, I started to feel anxious. I began texting her and calling her and no answer.

At first, I tried not to let my gut or mother’s intuition take over, but I could feel something was wrong. I kept trying to get in contact with her. I wanted to wake up my husband and tell him she wasn’t home, but I couldn’t do it. I kept telling myself she was going to walk through that door any second and I shouldn’t overreact. I must have called and texted her about 100 times before the doorbell rang. Who would have thought that the doorbell would have changed our lives forever.

Officer Sam Darroch and Dr. Nathan Strandmark were standing at my door. When I saw both of them, I knew in my gut what their next words would be, but I was in shock. They both looked at me with despair. They said, “Angie, Miranda…” while shaking their heads. They paused for a moment. I replied in denial, “Miranda what?” They proceeded to finish their sentence. “Miranda didn’t make it; she was in a bad accident.”  

Later, we learned how that night came to be. Around 12:35 a.m., June 21, 2012, Miranda was running late from seeing her boyfriend. It was past her curfew. She headed eastbound on Mary Street for home. This road has a very steep ditch on the south side. I can’t say my daughter is perfect, but she was always a BIG stickler on wearing seat belts. As hard as it is for me to say, she took her seat belt off to reach for something she had dropped.

As she tried to reach for whatever it was, she noticed she was headed toward that steep ditch and overcorrected. Her car then flipped, which flung her straight up and caused her to break her neck. She died instantly. She was then thrown from the car. The car landed on her, rolling three more times.

For those who read this, it doesn’t matter if you are only going to be unbuckled for 2 seconds. That’s all it took for Miranda. If you drop something and cannot reach it, LEAVE IT!!!! Nothing is more important than your life. Don’t kill yourself or someone else over things that don’t matter. NEVER take off your seat belt, and NEVER reach for things while you’re driving. Pull over or get it when you stop somewhere.

To the parents who read this, teach your kids how to get out of situations like that so they don’t overcorrect and roll the vehicle. Most importantly, teach them to never reach for things while they drive and always wear their seat belts. One thing I suggest is teaching them to drive on a dirt road. When you start to slide on a dirt road you, a) let off the gas; b) ride with grooves till the vehicle slows down and you regain control; and c) DO NOT SLAM THE BRAKES!!! Something I should’ve practiced more with my daughter.

During Miranda’s funeral, pastor Robert Deleon, her friends, and everyone who attended created the ‘Miranda Rule!’ - to always wear your seat belt while in a vehicle. To this day I hear kids yelling, “remember the Miranda Rule!” It brings a warm smile back to my face that people still remember my daughter.

Friends have also honored Miranda by creating a documentary in tribute to her and by getting a street named after her. These things mean so much to all her family members.

Two years later after Miranda’s passing, her younger sister, Ari, was about to turn 16 years old, and I knew the time would be coming for her to start driving. But I was NOT ready for her to start. It was difficult for me to allow my other children to get behind the wheel. She was able to get her license and is now a 24-year-old army wife. To this day has not crashed, and I pray every day she never crashes.

I remember my daughter, Miranda, as a beautiful 16-year-old girl who loved basketball, kids, friends, boys, school, and cars. She was happy, full of life, and had a beautiful future. She was very involved in sports and had many, many friends who loved her and supported her.

I recall back to when I took Miranda to get her farm permit when she was 14 years old. When she was given her permit, they asked her if she would like to be an organ donor. She looked at me and asked what that was. I told her, it’s when something happens to you and if you would like to give your organs to help others in need. I told her it was her choice and her choice alone if she wanted to be a donor. She said to me, “If I could save at least one life, that would make my life worth living.” She loved that analogy, so she became a donor and thanks to Miranda, she was able to help/save over 100 people! People from Oklahoma all the way to Maine received life-saving organs from Miranda. A person from Oklahoma received her eyes. It is heartwarming to know a little piece of her lives on.

It’s been a little over 10 years since the never-ending nightmare began. To this day, when I hear certain songs, if my children don’t answer my calls, if I hear sirens or come up onto a wreck, it brings me right back to that night. It brings me back to Miranda’s funeral and images in my head of my baby lying on a cold slab, something that NO parent should EVER have to bear. Two seconds is all it took to take her life.

Angie Landon Dunsworth is the mother of Miranda and Ari, and is from Garden City