Taylor Swift makes $50,000 donation to mother-of-three who risked her life to save teens in horror car accident

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By LEAH SIMPSON

Published: 01:36 BST, 29 August 2026 | Updated: 01:43 BST, 29 August 2026

Taylor Swift is proving why she's one of the most philanthropic women in entertainment yet again.

The singer forked out a whopping $50,000 to help a good Samaritan who suffered life-threatening injuries in Rhode Island last month when she stopped to help a group who had been in a car accident, the Daily Mail can confirm.

Ashley Taunton, 42, was driving on the I-95 South when she saw the aftermath of an incident where a teenage driver's vehicle had hydroplaned.

She told People in an interview that the trio were 'little bit banged up' when she approached them from where she'd left her own car, containing her youngest daughter.

Amid her quest to get the youngsters safely out of the rainy weather conditions, the mom-of-three ended up being struck by an oncoming car that also hydroplaned when stepped out to lend a hand.

Taylor Swift donated $50,000 to help a good samaritan who suffered life-threatening injuries in Rhode Island last month when she stopped to help a group who had been in a car accident

Ashley Taunton, 42, was driving on the I-95 South with her youngest daughter when she saw the aftermath of an incident where a teenage driver's vehicle had hydroplaned

Swift was touched after hearing how the mom-of three only ended up being hurt when she pushed one of the teens out of the way as the second vehicle barrelled towards them

She continued: 'I thought, 'That was it.' Then in the ambulance as well, I was just praying — I didn't want to die.'

The country, and Swift, were touched after hearing how Taunton only ended up being hurt when she pushed one of the teens out of the way as the second vehicle barreled towards them.

While the boy named Vinny was okay, the certified nursing assistant suffered internal bleeding.

'It just felt like a big explosion,' Taunton told People. 'I just remember being on the ground and I could see my ankle was just hanging there. I went to try to get up and I couldn't breathe.'

Taunton's daughter then rushed to hold her hand as they awaited medical assistance.

Her injuries included bilateral internal carotid artery dissection, liver and spleen lacerations, multiple rib fractures and a ruptured diaphragm.

It's unclear how much time Taunton will need to spend in hospital recovering from her injuries but she expects that her physical therapy could take up to a year.

With a goal of raising $110,000, by Friday evening the GoFundMe set up in collaboration with her husband Joe had raised more than $64,000.

Her injuries included bilateral internal carotid artery dissection, liver and spleen lacerations, multiple rib fractures and a ruptured diaphragm

The GoFundMe was set up collaboration with her husband Joe. The Meal Train donation has also gathered over $16,000 of a $20,000 goal

Taunton doesn't know how long it will take to fully recover but physical therapy could be up to a year

The top donation was $50,000 from a donor with the name 'Taylor Swift.'

The Meal Train donation has gathered over $16,000 of a $20,000 goal.

It was only in the hospital that Taunton realized her connection to Vinny, whose life she helped save.

When Taunton's friend Jamie O'Rourke spotted her husband Joe and their daughter in the hospital and they explained what had happened, everything came together.

'Jamie just lost it and was like, 'Oh my gosh, that was Ashley? She saved my son's life,' Taunton recalled being told in the interview with People.

O'Rourke told WPRI about Taunton: 'She was so courageous to put herself in danger.'

Swift's big donation comes after it was revealed she and Travis Kelce donated $26 million to at least 20 charities ahead of their July wedding.

The charities benefiting include nine food banks - including one in Swift's hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania - three children's hospitals and seven educational programs.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Swift for comment.

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