Teen Spends Final Moments Calling for Help While Pinned Under Car. After She Died, Her Mom Found a Letter in Her Dorm

Aaliyah Martin, an 18-year-old wrestler, had been at college in Iowa for just over three weeks when she lost her life in a two-vehicle collision that also claimed the life of her friend. In her final moments, she was able to call for help from her smart watch while trapped beneath her Jeep.

“It’s really hard because we are all very close,” says Martin’s aunt, Tasha Sanchez, who fondly refers to Aaliyah as her “bonus daughter.”

The fatal crash has been especially devastating for Aaliyah’s mother, Shantell Martin, and their large family. Aaliyah is survived by her mom, her dad Kevin Rucker, her two siblings, Shantell’s fiancé Chase Steinke, and his two children.

“She was her best friend,” Sanchez says of Shantell, describing her current emotional state. “When I talk to her on the phone, one minute she’s okay, and the next, she’s completely overwhelmed.”

The crash abruptly ended what should have been an exciting new chapter in Aaliyah’s life. She had just begun her freshman year at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, in August—a milestone that was the culmination of years of dedication and hard work.

Aaliyah earned an athletic scholarship after competing at state championships while wrestling for high schools in Wyoming and New Mexico, placing second twice. Wrestling was her passion, but she also dreamed of becoming a nurse after college.

During her three weeks on campus, she had already started forming friendships.

On the evening of Saturday, Sept. 13, she was riding with three fellow William Penn students—Sydney E. Andersen, Martin Contreras, and Andrew Buttler, all 18—on their way to a football game. The group had stopped at Andersen’s house so she could do her little sister’s hair for her high school homecoming.

Although it was Aaliyah’s car, she wasn’t driving due to an eye injury from an ATV accident during her first week of college, her aunt says. Instead, she rode in the back with Andersen, while Contreras sat in the front passenger seat and Buttler drove.

The Jeep Wrangler was traveling east on Ewart Road when Buttler failed to stop at the intersection of Highway 63, according to the Iowa State Patrol crash report. The vehicle collided with a Jeep Renegade driven by George J. Wegner, 51, sending both vehicles into a nearby cornfield.

Aaliyah and Andersen were pronounced dead at the scene, neither wearing a seatbelt. Buttler and Contreras were injured and taken to a nearby hospital, along with Wegner and his passenger, Jessica L. Atta, 48, according to the Ottumwa Courier.

Despite being trapped under the Jeep, Aaliyah was able to call for help from her smart watch, Sanchez recalls.

“She was still coherent and trapped under the Jeep by her leg,” her aunt says. “She was still able to have a conversation.”

Emergency responders extricated Aaliyah and transported her to an ambulance, but she did not survive. Shantell did not learn about the accident until four hours later.

“They had listed my niece as a Jane Doe because they couldn’t identify her,” Sanchez says. “Aaliyah’s the one who called 911 from her watch and gave her name and birthday.”

Since the crash, the family has reached out to Contreras.

“I can’t imagine the mental and emotional toll on him,” Sanchez says. “She just wants him to know that things happen and nobody blames him. It wasn’t his fault—it was just an accident.”

The following week, Sanchez stood by her grieving sister’s side as they arranged to bring Aaliyah’s body back to Wyoming for a celebration of life on Saturday, Sept. 27. A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist with funeral costs.

During this difficult time, Shantell discovered a letter Aaliyah had written to her future self, tucked inside her nursing uniform in her dorm room.

“Her goals were to be at the top of her weight class [for wrestling] in college,” Sanchez says of the heartfelt note. “With nursing, she wrote that she wanted to help people.”

Aaliyah’s professors left notes for her mother in her dorm room, remembering her as a “bright light” who was always eager to learn.

As her family mourns, they remember Aaliyah’s open heart and “infectious” spirit.

“You couldn’t help but love her,” Sanchez says.