Woman Survives Serious Napa Crash
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers reported that a 20-year-old woman survived an extremely dangerous accident in Napa County on Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Officials say that the woman was left with serious, but not life-threatening injuries after her vehicle plunged 450 feet off of a cliff and struck a patch of trees. The trees reportedly stopped her vehicle from falling another 800 feet. The latest reports indicated that the woman was in custody of the Queen of the Valley Medical Center, where medics say she is in “stable condition.”
Crash Details
The collision was reported at around 9:11 a.m. by a cyclist who had been riding on Monticello Road close to Dukes Curve and watched the accident take place. Officials say that if the cyclist hadn’t been on the remote road that morning, it is likely that the crushed car would not have been noticed on the heavily wooded side of the mountain. CHP has reported that they are currently unsure of what caused the woman’s vehicle to veer off of the road. However, officers noted that, while there are guard rails along some areas of Monticello road, there were none at the location of the accident. According to reports, the cyclist shimmied down the cliff in order to reach the wrecked vehicle, against the advice of CHP officials.
Response
Multiple agencies assisted with emergency response for this accident including Cal Fire, the Napa County Fire Department, CHP, and AMR ambulance. CHP sent a flight officer/paramedic to the accident site where they used a rescue helicopter to lower a hoist through a small opening in an oak tree canopy in order to reach the wrecked vehicle. To remove the woman from her vehicle, responders needed to remove the windshield and extricate her through the front of the car. Officials stated that the extrication was a “lengthy process.”
CHP flight officer Shaun Bouyea spoke to reporters and said that the woman was “extremely lucky.” Bouyea stated that she had been wearing her seat belt when the accident happened and did not have her cell phone nearby and would have been unable to contact emergency officials herself.
Investigation
The area of Monticello Road near the accident scene was closed to traffic for over three hours while emergency officials conducted response efforts and investigators surveyed the accident scene for evidence. So far, no suspected collision factors have been mentioned by officials. Accidents like this one are commonly caused by factors such as auto product malfunctions, medical issues, roadway hazards, and more.
Personal Injury Claims
After being injured in a crash, many people are left with steep medical expenses and need to take time off work in order to recover physically. This often causes serious financial stress and can make it difficult for individuals to pay for necessary expenses. If you have suffered injuries in a car accident, it is best to speak directly to a Napa personal injury lawyer to go over the specifics of your situation.
More Blogs from Napa Personal Injury Lawyer, Ed Smith
Napa Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Napa personal injury lawyer. Suffering accident injuries can be very difficult. If you were injured during a car accident, contact me for free, friendly legal advice. You can contact me by calling (800) 404-5400 or (707) 564-1900.
I’ve worked with people from the Napa area for more than 37 years. If you want to learn more about my practice, take a look at our previous settlements and verdicts. My client reviews are available at:
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