Cape May family gets trapped in massive landslide in Nashville

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

WHITES CREEK, Tenn. (WPVI) -- A South Jersey family is lucky to be alive after a near death experience on the interstate in Nashville.

Kaitlin and her family from Cape May, New Jersey, were making their final stop through Nashville on Feb. 23 after visiting six states.

"Our destination for the night was Nashville so we wanted to get up the next day and spend the day there," Kaitlin tells ABC affiliate WKRN, who was traveling with her husband, two kids and their family dog.

But that's when they found themselves in the middle of a massive landslide.

"Umm, I don't know, I don't know what route I'm on, but a tree just fell in front of our car on the highway," Kaitlin told the dispatcher.

The family was traveling on I-24 in Whites Creek when Kaitlin's husband spotted a shadow signaling a landslide to come.

"He was like, 'Oh my gosh, that's a tree,' and I looked up and next thing you know, it was on top in front of our car," Kaitlin told WKRN. "And thankfully, he was able to slam on the brakes and saw it right before it hit."

Luckily, the family escaped uninjured but their van was completely destroyed.

Kaitlin says they are still looking forward to their next family adventure.

"We still had the incredible trip that we had together as a family," she said. "We're thankful that we're still here and live life to its fullest because you never know what can happen."