A Second Later is an Alpharetta-based non-profit organization committed to educating society about the dangers of distracted driving. Founder Molly Welch continues to touch the lives of people across Georgia and beyond, as she recounts her personal distracted driving story.
“The mere fact that my life changed in a split second is reflected in my physical demeanor,” said Molly, “I am passionate about sharing my story with others and hopefully to spare them from the same experience.” In Molly’s “split second,” she reached for a tape recorder while driving home from college and was involved in a head-on collision with a pickup truck. The entire accident, from impact to ambulance, was recorded forever. As a result of this accident, Molly suffered severe traumatic brain injury and paralysis.
Today she is dedicated to distracted driving education and awareness. She says, “One day while I was at work I felt that I had to let everyone know my story and to perhaps impact the lives of others.”
There are hurdles in life that we all must overcome. Those hurdles help to define us one way or another. They reveal our strengths and our weaknesses. Molly has not only faced the medical reality of distracted driving on a deeply personal level, but she has also beat the odds and has become a national advocate in the increasingly important message of distracted driving.
Molly’s road to recovery was not easy. Given only a 50-50 chance of surviving, doctors thought that she would be immobilized for the rest of her life. After the accident, Molly faced weeks of being in a coma at Atlanta’s Shepherd Center before there were any real signs of recovery. She endured months of minimal consciousness before she would truly be on her path to recovery, but she kept on fighting. Next, she had years of extensive physical, speech and occupational therapy. She had to relearn everything. Resilient and determined, Molly returned to Auburn and completed her degree, walking across the stage to receive her diploma with the help of her brother.
Today, Molly continues to spread the message about distracted driving and to share her personal story with others. High school students are her favorite audience. "They are young and impressionable and they are our future drivers,” says Molly, “I am hoping that they ‘wake up’ to the seriousness of being behind the wheel.”
At the end of the day Molly has become even more of a vibrant and passionate young woman than anyone would have ever imagined. Her forever message is quite simple, “Don’t drive distracted. It’s a second wish you could have back.”