Taylor Swift Donates $50,000 to Ashley Taunton, Connecticut Mother Who Heroically Saved Stranger in Crash

Taylor Swift has contributed $50,000 toward the medical expenses of Ashley Taunton, a Connecticut mother of three who was critically injured while shielding a stranger during a highway pileup on July 18.

The Grammy-winning artist made the donation to a GoFundMe campaign established by Taunton’s family friend Laura Ortelt. Swift also left a personal note on the platform: “Wishing you the best recovery possible and sending love to your family! Taylor.”

As of Monday morning, the campaign had reached $90,000 toward its $110,000 goal, with fans contributing $13 each—a number Swift has identified as her favorite.

According to Ortelt, Taunton stopped her vehicle on Interstate 95 during a severe rainstorm to assist victims of a collision. She described the incident: “On Saturday, July 18th, during a severe rainstorm on I-95, Ashley did what she always does: she put others before herself.”

Ortelt explained that Taunton sustained her injuries when she pushed another driver out of harm’s way as their vehicle hydroplaned and came hurtling toward them. The act resulted in Taunton taking the brunt of the impact.

Taunton, who now faces a “very long and difficult road” to recovery, expressed shock at Swift’s donation on Instagram: “This is absolutely mind-blowing and so very humbling. @taylorswift you are a beautiful soul I wish I could hug you IRL.”

In an interview with People published August 23, Taunton reflected: “It feels weird if people call me a hero. I’m just a mom. Somebody was hurting. That’s just what you do.”