SAGINAW, MI -- Savannah Peterson covered her face and cried. The SUV her family relied on for transportation was in a mangled heap in a junkyard.

The vehicle was totaled in a July 7 head-on crash on Gratiot. She and her fiance both used it to get to their restaurant jobs in Saginaw Township.

On Tuesday, July 14, Peterson got a big surprise, and her tears of concern turned to those of joy. She watched as a shiny silver 2012 Chevrolet Traverse pulled up in front of her home.

The estimated $20,000 vehicle was given to her family by Garber Management Group, a car dealership with multiple Saginaw County locations.

Owner Dick Garber called Peterson's step father, Daryl Watson, on Sunday and said he and his family were affected by an automobile accident in the past, and he wanted to help.

"He said, 'I want to give her a vehicle,'" Watson said. "His heart was moved to help."

Peterson yelled with joy as the car arrived and Watson handed her the keys. It was a surprise gift.

"I'm so thankful," she said.

Still recovering

The scene where two people were killed when a Pontiac Grand Prix they were riding in collided with a GMC Envoy on Gratiot near St. Andrews in Saginaw Township at 4:22 p.m. Tuesday, July 7.

Peterson, 28, and her 8-year-old daughter, Aniya McCall, are both off their feet after the crash on Gratiot near St. Andrews.

The head-on accident killed two and injured a third in the second vehicle, which police believe had crossed the center line and struck Peterson's SUV.

Related: Survivor of head-on crash says don't take life for granted

After a week of tests and recovery at Covenant HealthCare hospital, Peterson and her daughter returned home on Monday. She's thankful they survived the crash but was worried how they would replace the vehicle.

That's when Garber stepped up to help the family of six.

Garber told The Saginaw News he spoke with a police investigator on the case and learned about the family and their circumstances following the crash. He then reached out to Watson with the car offer.

"We're really blessed as a company," Garber said. "We've had so much support from the community. That has put us in the position to do more."

Peterson on Tuesday walked around her new SUV, leaning on her walker and her fiance's arm. She opened the passenger door of the vehicle and saw a black interior with three rows of seats, imagining her four children riding inside.

Chevy dealer donates car to crash victim 7 Gallery: Chevy dealer donates car to crash victim

It will be at least six weeks until she can drive, as her knee has to remain straight to heal.

Aniya uses a walker to get around after breaking her ankle in the crash. A pink fiberglass cast decorated in marker signatures from friends and family wraps her right foot.

Garber said he met with Watson and had a selection of vehicles for him to choose from. Watson kept the surprise a secret until Tuesday.

Several friends were visiting Peterson, as well as a nurse making a home call, when the vehicle arrived.

She smiled while holding the keys in her front yard, ending the day that she began crying because of the stress of the crash and ended the day with tears of joy.

"I've been really down," she said. "I'm thinking I've lost everything and how am I going to bounce back? It's given me hope."

"It lifted my spirits. I'm truly blessed."

-- Brad Devereaux is a public safety reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+