Car Fire Tragedy
Donation protected
For anyone who hasn't heard yet, I'm very blessed to be alive right now.
I left Lakeland today to move to Orlando to finish my degree. I packed everything I owned into my old beat up Corolla & said goodbye to my family and to my best friend for the last time.
About halfway to Orlando on i4 I was going 70mph in the middle lane when my engine blew. Everything immediately shut down & I lost control of the car. Brakes weren't working (I looked in the engine compartment after & all the lines were melted) & I could see the flames start to flash through my open windows. The fire was big enough that everyone saw and got out of my way. I was able to coast to an exit and use the median to stop my car. I got out as the fire started to surround me.
I've never been afraid for my life. Never even considered that my day would come in any other way that old age surrounded by my family. In that moment I thought it would be the end i prayed. I begged God to not take my life.
As soon as I got away from the car, and I looked at everything I've spent my life building being surrounded in flames & destroyed, I looked up at the sky & it began to pour. Not just rain, it was like the heavens opened up & covered me & the flames in water. Within minutes the fire was out. I lost a lot of things including my clothes, music equipment & other personal belongings, but I didn't lose my life.
I'm still alive. And there is work to be done.
I have no coverage on my car or the belonging that were lost. I'm now faced with moving to Orlando for school with very little money, no car, no job, a lot of lost things & having to lose my internship as a worship leader at one of the largest churches in Florida (First Baptist Orlando) due to the lack of transportation.
Anything you can do to help me with this would be greatly & deeply appreciated. I know times are tough so I would never ask for something unless it was needed. God bless ❤️
I left Lakeland today to move to Orlando to finish my degree. I packed everything I owned into my old beat up Corolla & said goodbye to my family and to my best friend for the last time.
About halfway to Orlando on i4 I was going 70mph in the middle lane when my engine blew. Everything immediately shut down & I lost control of the car. Brakes weren't working (I looked in the engine compartment after & all the lines were melted) & I could see the flames start to flash through my open windows. The fire was big enough that everyone saw and got out of my way. I was able to coast to an exit and use the median to stop my car. I got out as the fire started to surround me.
I've never been afraid for my life. Never even considered that my day would come in any other way that old age surrounded by my family. In that moment I thought it would be the end i prayed. I begged God to not take my life.
As soon as I got away from the car, and I looked at everything I've spent my life building being surrounded in flames & destroyed, I looked up at the sky & it began to pour. Not just rain, it was like the heavens opened up & covered me & the flames in water. Within minutes the fire was out. I lost a lot of things including my clothes, music equipment & other personal belongings, but I didn't lose my life.
I'm still alive. And there is work to be done.
I have no coverage on my car or the belonging that were lost. I'm now faced with moving to Orlando for school with very little money, no car, no job, a lot of lost things & having to lose my internship as a worship leader at one of the largest churches in Florida (First Baptist Orlando) due to the lack of transportation.
Anything you can do to help me with this would be greatly & deeply appreciated. I know times are tough so I would never ask for something unless it was needed. God bless ❤️
Organizer
Matthew Keller
Organizer
Lakeland, FL