Woman rolls vehicle, rescued after being trapped for 11 hours

A 74-year-old Bigfork woman who spent 11 hours trapped inside her vehicle was rescued the morning of Dec. 12 after she veered off Grand Drive and rolled approximately 100 feet down the hillside. The crash occurred around midnight and was caused by inattentive driving, according to Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Jon Raymond.

“She said she had come back from the post office and failed to make the curve,” Raymond explained. “She went off the cliff and rolled several times.”

The Toyota Venza she was driving was completely totaled in the event, he said. The vehicle came to rest in a bushy, treed area that was difficult to see and not located near any immediate residence. A passerby traveling on Grand Drive spotted the woman’s car around 11 a.m. and rescuers responded promptly, freeing the woman shortly after, Raymond said. Rescue efforts were conducted by Bigfork Fire Department and Lakeside QRU and the driver was transported to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

“It was a full crew of people — chain saws clearing brush. It was a lot of work for them,” he noted.

The woman was unable to exit the vehicle and remained inside until recuers responded. She sustained minor injuries from the crash, and was suffering from hypothermia, Raymond said. Temperatures were in the low 30s for many of those early morning hours.

“She’s very lucky,” Raymond said. “If it had been any colder she probably wouldn’t have made it.”

The trooper reminded drivers to pay close attention to the road and to adjust speed accordingly during wintertime conditions.

“Paying attention to the road is important above all else,” he said.

Upon learning of the accident, local nonprofit Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork reached out to the Flathead County Road and Bridge Department to see if there was a way to mitigate future crashes on this section of roadway. Foundation President Paul Mutascio contacted County Public Works Director David Prunty, who examined the site and determined the addition of reflective markers would be the best solution. A guard rail was also considered, but Mutascio said it was ultimately determined that a railing would take up too much space and reduce the road to one-way traffic. He said the markers will make the edge of Grand Drive more apparent to drivers and “can withstand punishment and are easy to replace.” The markers will be installed soon, weather permitting.

“Anybody can slip off the edge of a road if they’re not careful,” Mutascio said. “They will be doing their best to get it [the markers] up there as quick as they can.” ¦