Returning to school for the fall semester after an adventure-filled is enough of a struggle while preparing for the start of a busy semester at the University of Central Florida. Most students are concerned with move in, finding a part-time job and ordering books. For junior Matthew Keller, coming back to UCF had an unexpected obstacle on the road.
Keller was driving his 1994 Toyota Corolla to the university for the fall semester on Interstate 4 at 70 mph when his car engine blew up and caught fire. Luckily, he walked away safe.
The brakes to the car were lost and all power shut down.
“I had to either jump off the car and pray that I don’t get run over or my car slammed into someone else’s car or use the metal median to stop the car so I went with the latter. I grabbed a few things that I could and got out and ran for it. It burned through a lot and the rain started pouring and put the fire out,” Keller said.
Keller stood and watched as his car engine was in flames.
“There was nothing that I could do. My father is a firefighter so he always had horror stories about car fires, so I did the best I could to stay away,” he said.
Keller said that in the moment his mind was saying to stay as far away from others as he could. If the car blew up completely, other children and family could be at risk.
The engine fire was like a domino effect. After catching fire, a small explosion in the compartment began, which then set the wiring and hoses on fire as well.
“As soon as I got away from the car, and I looked at everything I’ve spent my life building being surrounded in flames & destroyed, I looked up at the sky & it began to pour. Not just rain, it was like the heavens opened up & covered me & the flames in water. Within minutes the fire was out. I lost a lot of things including my clothes, music equipment & other personal belongings, but I didn’t lose my life,” his gofundme page states.
Using the shuttle to campus is now Keller’s form of transportation.
Luckily, he was able to find a job at CapTel Service Specialists.
Due to the old age and mileage of the car, the insurance did not help out Keller and left him starting from scratch.
“I’m still alive. And there is work to be done,” Keller’s gofundme states.
