Plomp spent 35 years surviving adolescents merging onto the interstate at 38 miles per hour before succumbing to off-the-clock muscle memory.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Sylvia Plomp, a veteran driving instructor who guided a generation of anxious teenagers through unprotected left turns, died Tuesday from injuries sustained when she violently stomped her right foot in search of a non-existent passenger-side brake pedal while riding in her husband's personal sedan. She was 61. Over a 35-year career, Plomp weathered an estimated 4,000 curbside collisions and survived countless adolescents merging onto Interstate 96 at 38 miles per hour. Colleagues recalled her unparalleled reflexes, noting she could seize a steering wheel from the passenger seat faster than humanly measurable.
She developed the strongest right calf in the tri-state area from three decades of bracing for impact, and in the end, her own unyielding vigilance took her.
Plomp is survived by her husband, two adult children, and a 2014 Ford Focus with a deeply indented passenger-side floor mat. Attendees of Saturday's memorial service are asked to maintain a full three car lengths of following distance during the funeral procession.