Juliette Lewis recently and barely escaped peril in a car accident. Here, the Conviction star recounts some of that terrible, but ultimately fortunate experience.
"I was two blocks from my house when the car hit my side, the passenger door," the actress told People. "The good news is I was feeling sleepy and leaning in."
"So, that saved me from more brutal injuries."
"I didn't actually smash my head. I just got jerked violently."
Lewis said emergency responders encouraged her to seek treatment: "The paramedic said to me, 'Juliette, you don't understand ... We don't normally see people walk away from a crash that bad … You need to go to the hospital.' He had to convince me."
Asked if the experience was terrifying, she replied: "I can't even go into it, it's so sad. I'm still all shaken up. It's one of those things that reminds you to focus on the little things, the good things. Right afterward, I got together with my friends and family."
The actress is now doing physical therapy for whiplash, and reflecting on lessons learned from a close call. "Live in the here and now, live in the journey," she said.
"All of that good stuff."