A woman’s harrowing rollover crash story has become an unexpected advertisement for a legendary brand’s safety reputation. Meredith (@merenateonthat) shared her incredible survival story in a TikTok that has racked up over 1.3 million views since being posted on Dec. 22. In it, Meredith describes how she walked away from a devastating five-rollover crash with nothing more than a busted lip. In the video, Meredith recounts the 2020 accident that she believes should land her in commercials for the type of vehicle she was driving: Subaru. The Crash That Should Have Been Fatal "I flipped my Subaru Outback five times," Meredith explains in the video. "I watched all the airbags deploy around me and I came out [with] the glass shattered, all the windows shattered out the back, the sides, the front, the windshield, everything. I came out completely unharmed except for a busted lip." The severity of the crash is evident in her description of the vehicle’s condition afterward. Most observers would have expected her to have catastrophic injuries or worse. Instead, Meredith found herself in an ambulance, surprisingly cheerful under the circumstances. "I was really high off adrenaline after that, so I was like laughing in the ambulance and I was like, ‘I’m so sorry’ to the EMTs because I was like, ‘this is a serious situation and I’m probably freaking them out,’" she recalls. "And they were like, ‘girl, it’s adrenaline.’" The EMTs’ Surprising Reaction What happened next reveals just how well-known Subaru’s safety reputation is among first responders. According to Meredith, the EMTs became comfortable with her adrenaline-fueled behavior and eventually shared details about their response to the crash. "They ended up telling me on the way there [that] there had been witnesses that had called and they were like, ‘yeah, go to the Subaru first because it flipped a bunch of times,’" she explains. "And they were like, ‘wait, what type of Subaru is it?’ And whoever was on the phone was like, ‘Subaru Outback of some type’ and they were like, ‘she’s probably fine.’" The most striking revelation came when the EMTs disclosed their initial preparation for the rescue. "The EMTs told me they had been considering getting the jaws of life for my car. When they found out that I was in a Subaru Outback, they were like, ‘she’s most likely okay.’" While Meredith's account reflects her personal experience with these particular EMTs, it's worth noting that first-responder protocols are typically based on crash assessment and visible injuries rather than on vehicle brand recognition. However, her story does highlight how Subaru's safety reputation has reached even emergency service personnel in some communities. Subaru’s Safety Engineering Legacy Meredith’s experience reflects Subaru’s well-documented commitment to safety engineering. The 2020 Subaru Outback earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick+ award, achieving "Good" ratings across all crash test categories, including small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side impact, roof strength, and head restraints. The vehicle also earned a "Superior" rating for front crash prevention. The 2020 model was among vehicles selected for testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and recent Outback models have consistently maintained 5-Star NHTSA overall safety ratings since at least 2018. Subaru’s safety reputation is built on several key engineering principles, including its standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, which helps maintain vehicle stability, and its use of high-strength steel in the vehicle frame to create a strong safety cage around occupants. The brand has also been a pioneer in advanced driver assistance technology through its EyeSight system. However, this crash-avoidance technology wouldn’t have helped in Meredith’s 2020 rollover scenario, since it’s designed primarily for frontal collision prevention and lane departure warnings. A Community of Believers The response to Meredith’s video demonstrates just how deeply Subaru’s safety reputation resonates with consumers—the comments section is filled with parents declaring their intention to buy Subarus for their teenage children. "My son will now be getting a Subaru Outback for his 16th birthday," wrote Amber. "My daughter too," added hydrates by tearsss, while Nigel91938 suggested expanding the search: "Or a Volvo! I always said my daughter will be in a Volvo or a Subaru." Real-World Car Crash Survivor Stories The video prompted viewers to share their own Subaru crash survival stories. Wilmot recounted a similar experience: "I flipped my Outback GT 3 times when I was 16. My passenger was unharmed—the only injury I sustained was because I had my hand out the window." Another commenter simply stated, "I wrecked in a 2019 Subaru Outback and I came out unscathed." These anecdotes were complemented by testimonials about the vehicles’ longevity and reliability. One user shared, "I got my mom’s Subaru Outback for my 16th birthday, she’s still in amazing shape, 11 years old, 237k miles. I’ve had to replace the brakes, the battery, and oil changes. That’s it." Even self-described automotive professionals weighed in to support the safety claims. A commenter whose screen name is "Matt Subaru Tech" stated, "Any Subaru has the best crash rating and new ones have the most reliability rating. We are #1." The discussion also revealed practical benefits beyond crash protection. Meredith herself noted in the comments that Subarus offer "extra bonus is it’s one of the cheapest cars to insure for a teen boy." Industry Impact While individual crash stories are anecdotal, Meredith’s experience reflects broader industry trends toward improved vehicle safety. Modern vehicles have dramatically reduced fatality rates, with NHTSA data showing the occupant fatality rate per 100,000 registered vehicles dropping from 17.81 in 1997 to 10.05 in 2017. The average vehicle on the road in 2012 had an estimated 56% lower fatality risk for its occupants than the average vehicle in the late 1950s. The fact that first responders apparently recognize Subaru vehicles as likely to protect their occupants suggests that this reputation extends well beyond marketing claims to real-world emergency response protocols. For parents shopping for their teenage drivers, stories like Meredith’s provide compelling evidence that investing in safety-focused vehicles can make the difference between a tragic accident and a story worth sharing on social media. The Ultimate Endorsement Meredith’s conclusion in the video serves as perhaps the most authentic product endorsement Subaru could hope for: "I believe that I should be in Subaru ads to promote the safety of the vehicles… Put me in a commercial, put me, my dog—he has a stuffed Subaru toy—put me in a commercial." Her story resonates because it’s not a carefully crafted marketing message but rather a genuine testimonial from someone who experienced the ultimate test of automotive safety engineering and lived to tell about it. The timing of her crash adds another layer of perspective to her story. As she notes, "COVID hit like two weeks after this happened," suggesting that surviving the crash took on even greater significance in light of what followed globally. Motor1 reached out to Meredith via TikTok direct message for additional comment. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? 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