7-year-old climbs 15 feet up embankment to get help after deadly crash, WA rescuers say
A child climbed a hillside to get help after the car they were riding in rolled down an embankment, Washington rescuers say.
After the rollover crash in Kelso, the 7-year-old left the car, climbed up to the road and “flagged down a passing motorist, who called 911” shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct 6, Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue said in a news alert.
Multiple agencies, including the Longview Fire Department and Cowlitz County District 6, made their way to people trapped inside the car, rescuers said.
When rescuers arrived, they found the car “15 feet down an embankment and 50 feet off the road,” the agency said.
Fire crews rescued two people from the car using hydraulic tools, rescuers said.
The driver of the car was pronounced dead on scene, according to rescuers.
The 7-year-old and a 2-year-old were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, while one 9-year-old was flown to a hospital “for multiple injuries,” rescuers said.
Rescuers said they are unsure of what led to the crash, adding that Washington State Patrol will be investigating the incident.
Kelso is about a 50-mile drive northwest from Portland.
This story was originally published October 7, 2024 at 8:52 AM.
