A Chinese couple has captured widespread attention online after surviving a near-fatal car accident and deciding to tie the knot shortly afterwards.
(Also read: Chinese kid wrecks $56,000 of property in Labubu toy tantrum, shatters ceiling and chandelier)
A narrow escape on the highway
According to a report by South China Morning Post, the 31-year-old man, surnamed Ma, had just completed a self-driving trip with his girlfriend, travelling from Shanxi province to Shandong in eastern China. On July 26, while attempting to overtake a truck on a two-lane highway, disaster struck.
As Ma’s car drew alongside the truck’s rear wheel, its front tyre suddenly burst. The truck veered sharply towards Ma’s vehicle, leaving him little room to react. Despite braking immediately, his car was forced against the median barrier. The vehicle suffered catastrophic damage, with both front and rear sections crushed.
Miraculously, Ma and his girlfriend, who was seated beside him, walked away with only cuts and bruises. Even the attending traffic police called their survival a miracle. The truck driver was also unharmed.
Seat belts and a stroke of luck
Later, Ma shared dashcam footage from the truck, which revealed that the truck driver had accelerated after the tyre rupture.
{{/usCountry}}Later, Ma shared dashcam footage from the truck, which revealed that the truck driver had accelerated after the tyre rupture.
{{/usCountry}}Grateful for their escape, Ma highlighted the importance of their seat belt habit, crediting it as the key reason they survived the ordeal.
Love strengthened by crisis
In a twist that drew even more admiration, Ma proposed marriage to his girlfriend that very evening. The couple, who had been introduced by friends and were dating for a year, had discussed marriage before but had not felt in a rush.
Though they initially considered marrying immediately, the bride-to-be hesitated because their clothes were torn from the accident. Ultimately, they registered their marriage on July 29, just three days after the crash, once they returned home.
Both families expressed immense joy, calling the couple’s union a bond sealed by “life and death”.