NEWTON COUNTY, Ind. — An Indiana woman is alive after six days trapped in a wrecked car in northwestern Indiana.
Brieonna Cassell, 41, was reported missing by family after last being seen in Jasper County, Indiana.
Six days later, she was found trapped in a car that was in a ditch southwest of Rensselaer.
According to the Newton County Sheriff S.L. Cothran, a man was “operating equipment” for Deyoung Drainage when he saw a car with someone in it in a ditch. The ditch was deep enough that you could not see the car inside it from the road.
The man’s supervisor happened to be the Morocco fire chief. They found Cassell inside the vehicle, conscious and able to speak.
Cassell was airlifted to a hospital in Chicago. It’s unclear how serious her injuries are or what caused the crash.
UPDATE: The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that Brieonna Nicole Cassell has been located. Thank you to…
Posted by Jasper County Sheriff’s Office – Indiana on Tuesday, March 11, 2025
“Bri is an amazing, amazing young woman, and she’s very talented. She survived by dipping her hoodie in the water and sucking on it so she had something to drink,” said Kim Brown, Cassell’s mother, according to CNN.
Delmar Caldwell, Cassell’s father, told CNN that Cassell had told her daughter that she was “giving up hope” but managed to stay alive using the hoodie tactic described above.
“We’re blessed that everything worked out the way it did,” Caldwell told CNN. “With the extensive injuries she has, it’s going to be a long road to recovery, but thank you everyone for spreading the word and volunteering and praying — thank you all.”
“Thank you so much for finding my baby — Thank you. I could never repay you,” Brown said.
Cassell’s daughter said she was with her in the hospital, awaiting an update.