Ohio police rescued a 24-year-old woman who was trapped in a sinking minivan that crashed into a river Sunday night, according to bodycam footage released Monday.
The woman was on her way home from work around 9 p.m. when she fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed her minivan into the Mahoning River, the City of Alliance Police Department said in a statement.
She used her cell phone to call for help, and a dispatcher sent firefighters and police to the scene. The dispatcher stayed on the line with the woman to calm her down.
The woman moved to the minivan’s back seat as the water level rose inside the vehicle, according to the video.
An officer in the river trying to reach the woman struggled in the cold water before using a tomahawk to break the rear window of the minivan and pull the woman to safety.
No other passengers were in the minivan.
“Her car was almost full of water when the officers pulled her out of the river,” Lt. Dave Bair told Canton-area newspaper the Repository. “They communicated well and got her out of the vehicle. If these officers had been late by 30 seconds, I don’t know if she would be here.”
Bair told the Repository that the water was about six feet deep.
No officers were injured in the rescue. Police said the woman was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and then released.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.