There was an amazing story that came out of Michigan last week that has made national news. It was an event that involved a great deal of tragedy but also offered examples of bravery, clear thinking, and strangers helping one another.
A woman was abducted from the Central Michigan University campus late Wednesday night by a 30-year-old man with previous prison time named Eric Lee Ramsey. 
He took her to a home and sexually assaulted her and then, upon putting her back in his car, informed her that he was going to kill her.
Knowing that her only apparent chance at survival would be escape, this woman jumped out of the car and ran for help. The help she found was from a 14-year-old boy who was home with his two younger siblings. This courageous young man brought in a woman clearly in danger, grabbed his hunting knife, and then locked everyone, including himself, in a bathroom.
Instead of pursuing his victim into the house, Ramsey doused a part of the home with gasoline and set it on fire. The father of the children returned home and was able to put out the fire without great harm being done. Meanwhile, Ramsey had taken off in a stolen sanitation truck and rammed multiple vehicles, including cars of police officers, before being shot. Forecasting his own demise, he even posted on social media that he was about to be killed.
The woman clearly is someone who deserves much praise and admiration, as she followed her instincts to survive and did what was necessary to escape and give herself a chance at life. And, I also commend the teenager who seemed to be ready with a plan and showed amazing maturity in a terrifying circumstance.
While the fact that the woman was abducted and assaulted at all is horrible, the events that followed should serve as a good reminder to all of us to keep our wits about us and always think two steps ahead if ever faced with such terror.
* * *
Author Jennifer Chase 