Driver hospitalized after tree impales her minivan
DUVALL, Wash. -- A woman was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center Monday afternoon after a scary accident in Duvall sent a tree crashing into her minivan.
The 43-year-old driver went off the road and hit a tree, which then impaled her windshield and pinned her down.
"I don't know how it didn't hit her. She's very very lucky," said Kristi Fry, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash.
Fry heard the impact from her nearby home and ran over to help.
"Her seat belt strap was choking her," Fry said. "She was kind of in a position where it was just wrapped around her neck."
Fry said a man driving a propane truck was following the van when it went off the road. She watched him use a pocket knife to cut the seat belt from the woman's neck.
"Her head kind of slumped down and then she took this big breath and then she started breathing at a kind of normal pace," Fry said. "She looked like she was sleeping, but before that her face was turning purple. It was kind of scary to see at first."
Fry and other witnesses stayed with the woman until firefighters arrived and used the jaws of life to free her from the wreckage.
The sheriff's department is now trying to figure out what caused the van to leave the road. Neighbors say the woman was on her way to pick up her children.
Her current condition is not known.
The 43-year-old driver went off the road and hit a tree, which then impaled her windshield and pinned her down.
"I don't know how it didn't hit her. She's very very lucky," said Kristi Fry, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash.
Fry heard the impact from her nearby home and ran over to help.
"Her seat belt strap was choking her," Fry said. "She was kind of in a position where it was just wrapped around her neck."
Fry said a man driving a propane truck was following the van when it went off the road. She watched him use a pocket knife to cut the seat belt from the woman's neck.
"Her head kind of slumped down and then she took this big breath and then she started breathing at a kind of normal pace," Fry said. "She looked like she was sleeping, but before that her face was turning purple. It was kind of scary to see at first."
Fry and other witnesses stayed with the woman until firefighters arrived and used the jaws of life to free her from the wreckage.
The sheriff's department is now trying to figure out what caused the van to leave the road. Neighbors say the woman was on her way to pick up her children.
Her current condition is not known.
Everybody should have one of these in their cars: http://www.amazon.com/Seatbelt-Breaker-Emergency-Escape-Tool/dp/B002AMAXNA
No, this is not an advertisement and I'm not profiting from this. But maybe my suggestion might save a life someday, and that's good enough for me.
I keep mine in the door pocket on the drivers side!
don't text and drive.
The title and first sentence of this article make it sound like trees are out there attacking cars.Â
@lakeviewYou mean they don't?
I always admire a man who carries a pocket knife.
There are too many accidents on this road. I'm so glad that someone was there to help her.Â
How terrifying. I'll bet this poor woman feels great that she has given everyone a chance to talk about how smart and focused they are while driving. Healing and comfort to this woman and her family.
@makeadifference Yes, no one else ever makes mistakes and they are consistantly better people. No one ever gets sleepy, swerves, spills coffee, reaches for their phone, slides on ice, misses a turn, etc. Nope, all are perfect when typing from the comfort and fairly anonymous safety of a forum.
Went off the road did she? Why was this downed tree left sticking out like a lance to the edge of the road by the road cleanup crew. (note the wood on the road). Here's a fine example of a dangerous, half witted, half assed attempt at cleaning up a downed tree by Washington state road service crews. Roadside Hazards like this can be often seen  along Washington state highways and roads. Downed trees need to be removed by far more than just a couple of feet from the edge of any road. You don't cut it off and then leave it sticking out like a lance waiting to impale a motorist.  She and her insurance company have a liability issue with the state on this one. The sheriffs dept should be more focused on why this 12 inch thick 20 foot plus, long lance was left that close to the edge of the road, than why she hit it. Â
Excellent point,... why was it left there? I have seen where road crews just cut enough to allow traffic to go by...
I think there would be quite a few people willing to go collect all that wood, if they could do it and not get in any trouble..
Who owns the property in which the tree was growing on? It is actually their responsibility to remove it, but, it is also the drivers responsibility to stay on the road too, and not drive off the road into downed trees .ike this..
@Mr. HThe neighbor behind me has alder trees growing in a swampy area. One of them fell (it wasn't on a windy day) and hit my neighbor's garage. The property owner was told by the county that he couldn't cut down the other hazardous trees because they are in a protected wetlands. So, someday a tree might fall and hit my garage. Thank you, King County.
I too wonder why she drifted off the road. Looks like the tree fell previously and was cut off right next to the road. Any kind of distraction could cause someone to drift off on the shoulder and the tree was just waiting for that someone and she was it. I have seen this many times on Highway 101 where a fallen tree is cut off just off the road surface but is still laying on the shoulder. As we can see it leaves a dangerous problem just waiting for someone to come along. I am glad she survived and no one else was hurt. I hope they remove that hazard now. Â
"Driver hospitalized after tree impales her minivan"
Dang! Sounds like the trees are now cooperating with the self-driving SUV's!
Drive distracted much?
@Klondiko pass out much?  Brain tumor much?
Thanks to those who helped this lady and I hope she recovers quickly!
Glad someone was able to help her. My friend got into a motorcycle accident after work. I was following him and a guy turned in front of him. He ended up loosing his right leg. If me and other drivers were not there I know he would have died from the accident. I am happy to here that someone was able to help her.
Very lucky lady, she could have ended up like Jane Mansfield. Where does it say anything about texting?Â
I pray she recovers without any long term effects. Thankfully the kids were not in the car yet.
Texting and trees don't mix
@BuddyHolly either do brain tumors and passing out.  Good thing she wasn't also texting.
Please, everyone, try to make sure your seatbelt is adjusted correctly. Most front seat belts are adjustable by sliding the shoulder strap up or down at the point where it is attached to the car. I am 5'3" and in my car mine needs to be almost all the way down to be crossing my chest at a point where it won't choke me in an accident. Perhaps this woman is even shorter or perhaps it was adjusted but the violence of the crash slid it up anyway but I just thought I would remind people. Thank God for the man who cut her free! I pray she will be okay.
I'm curious as to what the text message says. I know I know I shouldn't rush to judgement but if in fact she was texting, it might be helpful if she provided the actual text she was trying to hammer out to show people of all ages how stupid it is to text and drive. Because there is nothing she could have typed to make this all worth it.
@Rockberry Just when you think you've read everything along comes Bozo "wannabe know-it-all" Einstein to take the cake.
van looks like a can broken open ... good luck to the driver!
Revenge of the trees.
Gulp! That looks awful! One instance when the seat belt almost did her in vs saving her. Although, it may have saved her in the initial impact. Lucky for her someone with a pocket knife was right behind her.
Scary indeed!!  Hopefully she'll be all right. Good thing it  happened before her children were in the car! The only one in the passenger seat is the tree.