A 76-year-old man from east of Seattle was hospitalized in serious condition Thursday night after his car rolled over an embankment south of Buckley and he fell more than 100 feet while trying to climb out.
While driving on state Route 165 near the Fairfax Bridge, the man hit a tree, rolled off the road, and his vehicle caught on a tree in the ravine, Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.
When the man got out of the car, he fell farther down the embankment, Troyer said.
That was about 1 p.m. It was nearly three hours later that a pair of off-duty officers called 911 after they saw the car and heard the man yelling for help, according to East Pierce Fire & Rescue, which led the rescue effort.
It took crews from East Pierce, Pierce County, Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, Gig Harbor Fire, Medic One and West Pierce Fire & Rescue to recover the driver.
The victim was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center, and he was expected to survive, Troyer said.
The Washington State Patrol was investigating.
alexis.krell @thenewstribune.com
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