Carissa’s first experience in the snow ended up with her in a ditch.

“My dad told me it had to be a new record,” Carissa said. “Only ten minutes driving and I was already in a ditch.”

Hailing from Florida, Carissa already has a hatred for the freezing Minnesota winters. And now driving in the snow doesn’t make it any better.

Carissa lives in the country and the roads near her house hadn’t been salted or plowed yet.

Carissa doesn’t hate snow; ice is her biggest driving issue.

“I was turning the corner a little fast because I didn’t want to be late to school and my car slid on ice and went into the ditch,” Carissa said.

The experience wasn’t frightening; Carissa’s car wasn’t wrecked. Her car just landed in some weeds. And there weren’t a lot of cars around.

Carissa first called her dad, Michael Fitzlaff who yelled at her and said she was going too fast. There was nothing he could do about it since he works out of town.

“She would’ve gotten to school faster by going slow rather than going into a ditch,” Michael said.

Carissa had to wait in the ditch for her grandparents, Janet and Richard Fitzlaff to pick her up, they thought it was hilarious.

“It is funny when you think about it,” Janet said. “Typical Floridian, having trouble driving in the snow.”

The Fitzlaff family is used to having problems in the snow. When Carissa’s sister, Carina Fitzlaff, was driving last year during black Friday on a four a.m. trip to the Mall of America their car slid and spun a 360 off the road.

“It was pitch black and I was so scared we were going to hit someone,” Carina said.

Now Carissa will be sure to manage her time in the morning when it snows so that she can leave earlier and take her time driving.

“Taking my time is better than rushing,” Carissa said.