Doctors Gave Her a 1% Chance to Live, CA Nursing Student Survives Freak Freeway Impalement

A California nursing student is recovering after surviving a horrific freeway crash that doctors said she had only a 1% chance of living through, as reported by The New York Post.

Janina Akporavbare was driving in rush-hour traffic on the 10 Freeway in San Bernardino on Aug. 25 when a metal pole suddenly flew toward her vehicle and pierced through her stomach.

Her younger brother was seated in the back seat at the time of the crash, according to a report by WDBJ7.

Nursing student impaled by pole while driving survives ‘against overwhelming odds’ https://t.co/cOyLC5gpno pic.twitter.com/O1xw4Q76Wj

— New York Post (@nypost) February 9, 2026

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“I remember all of a sudden just seeing this huge pole coming at my car, and I couldn’t swerve… ‘cause it was during rush hour traffic,” Akporavbare told the outlet.

Despite her severe injuries, Akporavbare was able to maneuver her vehicle off the roadway and call 911 while the pole remained lodged through her body and dragging from the front of the car.

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“The pole was really long, so… other cars [were] running over the pole while it was in my stomach,” she said.

Firefighters and emergency crews rushed to the scene and were forced to cut part of the metal pole away, leaving a section still impaled through her stomach so she could be transported safely to the hospital.

Photos provided to the outlet showed the extent of the damage caused by the crash.

“I remember thinking, ‘I’m gonna die right now. That’s it for me,’” Akporavbare said.

According to the Loma Linda Firefighters Association, Akporavbare was transported to the hospital in just 10 minutes, surviving “against overwhelming odds.” Doctors later told her she had only a 1% chance of survival.

Akporavbare spent nearly two months at Loma Linda University Medical Center and underwent almost three surgeries as doctors worked to repair extensive internal damage.

“They took out part of my colon, my liver, my kidney. They were all injured,” she said.

The medical ordeal left Akporavbare facing approximately $1 million in medical bills. The crash also forced her to miss a semester of nursing school and time away from work, delaying her progress toward completing her education.

Emotionally, the experience has had a lasting impact. Akporavbare said she now struggles with fear behind the wheel and avoids driving whenever possible.

“I feel terrified. I don’t really drive that much. I don’t drive on that freeway,” she said.

Investigators have not yet determined where the metal pole originated or how it became airborne on the freeway.

Akporavbare and her attorney are now seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed the crash or knows how the pole ended up on the roadway.

“So, I would really like to find the people who did this and get some peace about it,” she said.

Despite the trauma, Akporavbare expressed gratitude for surviving the crash and for the first responders and medical staff who saved her life. She said the experience has reinforced her desire to become a nurse.

Nursing student impaled by pole while driving survives ‘against overwhelming odds’ https://t.co/MvzmKveBwy

— WMBF News (@wmbfnews) February 8, 2026

“It makes me want to be a nurse even more because I want to help people like the nurses at Loma Linda helped me,” Akporavbare said.

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