Being confronted with a life-or-death emergency can cause one to panic or freeze.  That sudden surge of fear can cause you to shut down, be scared out of your wits, or lose your ability to think clearly.

It can also be motivation for you to be calculated and fight, even if you have no self-defense training. Adrenaline and instincts kick in while your mind stays sharp. That’s what worked for a young college student this summer from Columbia, South Carolina, when her life was in danger.

A rash of robberies and kidnappings struck the campus area of the University of South Carolina. Most of them were happening at off-campus housing sites, where students like Jordan live.

Quick thinking and knowing how to drive a stick shift saved Jordan Dinsmore’s life. The 20-year-old arrived home from work one night and was accosted by three men when she got out of her car. One pointed a gun at her when she screamed and they all threatened to hurt her if she didn’t stop yelling.

Upon forcing her back into the car, they realized that none of them knew how to operate a stick and one of the suspects fled. The other two kidnapped Jordan and made her drive to an ATM. According to Jordan, they told her they planned to sexually assault her.

Out of the many thoughts flooding her mind, she remembered one of her mother’s stories. When her mom was in college, she was almost sexually assaulted but fought off her attacker. In an interview with WCBD News, Jordan’s mom Beth Turner explained how she taught her daughter to never let an attacker get her out of public view.

Mom’s advice and Jordan’s smarts enabled her to escape. How exactly did she do it? At the ATM, she didn’t click her seatbelt back into place. When they got back onto the road, Jordan came up with a plan. Looking out for cars behind her or in an oncoming lane, she knew what she had to do. Escape.

She turned into a daredevil and jumped out of the moving car! The robbers, unable to drive, were trapped inside of the vehicle. Jordan got up, ran, and was able to flag down another driver for help and called police. In a matter of moments, she was safe.

She said she kept thinking of how strong her mom was when she was in a threatening situation, and that’s what gave her the courage to act. Police caught the teenage suspects who were also thought to be responsible for the other robberies in the area.

But they also gave Jordan the nickname “James Bond” for her bravery. Click below to hear more about Jordan’s story and her mother’s advice for other parents. While Ms. Turner praised her daughter for her smarts and strength, she said she had no idea that her daughter had this in her.

What do you think of Jordan’s lifesaving move? Would you have done the same? Have you ever been in trouble and needed to think fast?