A family's miraculous survival story unfolded on December 11, when their Xiaomi SU7 Pro plunged off a cliff but left all members with only minor injuries.
The family, consisting of Wang Yu, her husband, mother-in-law, and their two-year-old daughter, were on their way to the scenic Fuxi Mountain & Snowflake Cave area in Henan, China, when their ordeal began. While driving down the mountain, their vehicle unexpectedly fell off the cliff, sending them crashing down to the rocks below.
Wang Yu recounted the harrowing moment. "I quickly shouted to her and picked her up. I was relieved when she responded to me," she said, recalling the instant her daughter slipped from her arms during the crash. The car, as it tumbled, flipped and collided with rocks before halting after crashing headlong onto a tree.
The force of the impact was severe. Despite the crumpled wreckage, the family managed to escape with only minor scrapes. Wang Yu's husband divulged, "I was fearful our child might be thrown forward, so I extended my arm to shield her," ensuring she landed safely on the airbags deployed within the vehicle.
Wang Yu explained the conditions during their drive; they estimated they were traveling at around 40 km/h as the vehicle fell from heights of 20 to 30 meters. After the crash, aside from the family's minor scrapes, her mother-in-law suffered small fractures, but everyone else emerged relatively unscathed.
On social media, Wang Yu's husband expressed gratitude, stating, "Thank you to the Xiaomi SU7 for its safety features, and to all the rescuers who helped us." They had purchased the car just under two months prior, on October 24, and the post highlighted the significance of the vehicle's safety attributes during their near-fatal accident.
The traumatic experience serves as a stark reminder of automotive safety, urging everyone to prioritize seatbelt safety, especially for children during travels. Ms. Wang rightly emphasized, "It's so important to always wear a seatbelt and use car seats for children when traveling.”
For manufacturers and drivers alike, this incident opens up discussions about vehicle safety features and their real-world effectiveness during moments of peril. The Xiaomi SU7 Pro's airbags, deployed effectively during the crash, could very well have been the reason for the family's survival.
With increasing reliance on technology and automobiles like the Xiaomi SU7, accidents like this beckon for more attention to safety regulations, features, and consumer education about their usage. Through perseverance and the right safety features, this family navigated through what could have been a devastating experience and emerged with lessons learned and lives saved.