The Rutmans are telling their story to encourage safer, more intentional summer travel for families
Summer travel season is filled with early mornings, packed vehicles, tournament schedules, family vacations, and long stretches of road that become part of the memories families carry for years. For Ryan and Chivonne Rutman, those drives are a familiar part of life. The Owensboro couple — both Realtors and parents to daughters Addie-Belle, 18, and Charleigh, 14 — spend much of their time balancing work, school activities, sports, and family life on the go.
Recently, the Rutmans quietly marked one year since a drive home from a volleyball tournament changed their family forever.
But instead of allowing that day to become only a story about tragedy and fear, they have chosen to share it as a message about faith, preparation, gratitude, and the importance of staying connected — especially for families traveling this summer.
The trip itself was nothing unusual. The family had traveled to Franklin, Kentucky, for one of Charleigh’s travel volleyball tournaments with KSA, something they had done many times before. Weekends like that are busy, but meaningful.
“Those are moments we truly look forward to,” Chivonne said. “Watching her play, being together.”
The day, however, started with unexpected chaos.
Around 5 a.m., a hailstorm swept through Owensboro, shattering the windows in both Chivonne’s car and Addie-Belle’s vehicle. Suddenly, the family was scrambling to cover broken windows and protect everything from the rain before leaving town.
Ryan’s truck became the only vehicle they could take.
Before leaving, Chivonne grabbed something small from her damaged car — two St. Christopher medals.
Saint Christopher is widely recognized as the patron saint of travelers, symbolizing protection and safe journeys. Ryan already had one medal hanging in his truck, but that morning Chivonne felt compelled to bring two more.
“That day we had three with us — three medals and three of us in the vehicle,” she said.
The tournament itself went well, and by early afternoon, Ryan, Chivonne, and Charleigh were headed home on I-165. Rain was falling lightly, but otherwise the drive felt normal.
Then, in an instant, everything changed.
“The next thing I remember was an unbelievable force hitting us and a loud noise,” Chivonne said. “I didn’t see the car coming.”
A vehicle traveling the wrong direction struck Ryan’s truck head-on at highway speed.
The airbags deployed immediately. The truck tilted. The family couldn’t see or fully understand what had happened. In those first moments, Ryan said only one thing mattered.
“We were just trying to make sure everyone was okay,” he said.
The family quickly realized they were trapped inside the truck. Within minutes, strangers began rushing toward them through the rain.
Several men cut through airbags and physically helped carry each family member out of the vehicle. Once outside, the reality of the crash became clearer.
The other vehicle was nearly unrecognizable.
The driver of that vehicle did not survive.
Even now, a year later, the Rutmans still speak with deep compassion about the loss experienced by the other driver’s family.
“We think about them often,” Chivonne said. “We know how differently this story could have ended, and we don’t take that for granted.”
At the same time, the family remains deeply moved by the kindness shown to them in the moments immediately after the accident.
People brought umbrellas to shield them from the rain. Others wrapped them in blankets and stayed nearby until emergency crews arrived.
“I still think often about the people who stopped to help us,” Chivonne said. “Their kindness is something I will never forget.”
For Charleigh, the day became a reminder of both fragility and strength. Though shaken emotionally, her parents say she handled the situation with incredible maturity and resilience.
“She’s strong,” Ryan said. “I think all of us learned a lot about how quickly life can change, but also how important it is to stay calm and stay together.”
One piece of that day that continues to stand out to the family is the role technology played during the emergency — specifically, the Life360 app.
Like many parents with teenagers, Ryan and Chivonne originally downloaded Life360 years ago as a way to stay connected to their daughters’ locations and schedules. Between real estate, school events, sports travel, and teenage drivers, it simply made life easier.
But they had never thought about the app as a potential emergency tool.
Their oldest daughter, Addie-Belle, was not in the truck that day. She was attending a Catholic youth conference at Brescia University. After the crash, one of Chivonne’s first thoughts was getting in touch with her before she heard rumors or frightening details from someone else.
“I knew I needed to call her,” Chivonne said.
Later, Addie-Belle told her parents she had already received a missed call and voicemail from Life360 notifying her that Ryan had been involved in a serious accident and authorities were responding.
What stood out most was that the call was not automated. It was an actual person reaching out during an emergency.
“That moment completely changed how we view the app,” Ryan said.
The Rutmans now strongly encourage families to not only download Life360, but to take time to review the settings and understand the safety features available — particularly before summer travel begins.
“We do pay for the Gold version, and honestly, we didn’t even realize crash detection was included until this happened,” Chivonne said. “None of us could reach our phones immediately after the accident. If we hadn’t been able to call someone ourselves, that feature would have been incredibly important.”
The family also encourages people to double-check the individuals included in their “circle” — the emergency contacts who will receive alerts if something happens.
“Those are the people who are going to get that call,” Ryan said. “You want to make sure the right people are there.”
One of the most important lessons the family shares is simple but powerful: if you are physically able after an accident, call your loved ones yourself as soon as possible.
“Being able to hear from me first made all the difference for Addie-Belle,” Chivonne said.
While practical safety measures became more important after the crash, the Rutmans say their faith also deepened significantly.
Looking back, there are several moments they still struggle to explain away as coincidence — the hailstorm forcing them into Ryan’s truck, Addie-Belle being surrounded by prayer at a Catholic conference during the accident, and the fact that injuries could have been much more severe.
“We truly believe we were covered in prayer that day,” Chivonne said.
The experience also shifted how the family approaches everyday life.
There is more prayer before trips now. More awareness on the road. More conversations about distracted driving and safety — especially with a teenage driver in the house.
“We’re definitely more cautious,” Ryan said. “You realize very quickly how much is outside of your control when you’re driving.”
Still, despite everything they endured, the Rutmans don’t want their story to leave families fearful about travel.
Instead, they hope it encourages people to be intentional — to prepare, slow down, stay alert, and appreciate the people beside them on the journey.
“For families traveling this summer, I would just say: slow down, stay aware, and make safety a priority,” Chivonne said. “Look into tools like Life360, check your circles, and make sure your family knows what to do in an emergency.”
More than anything, though, the family says the experience reminded them what matters most.
“Life gets busy, and it’s easy to take things for granted,” Chivonne said. “But when something like this happens, it changes the way you see your time, your family, and what truly matters.”
