KELSO, Wash. — Four people have been hospitalized with "traumatic injuries and spinal fractures" after a rollover crash off of Interstate 5 near Kelso, according to Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue.
At 2:42 a.m. on Wednesday, Cowlitz County dispatchers received a 911 call from someone who said their car was upside down in the trees and that one of the occupants was missing, possibly thrown from the car.
Multiple fire agencies responded, with a Life Flight helicopter put on standby. A Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputy found "faint vehicle tracks" that left Interstate 5 near mile marker 43, then climbed down a steep embankment. There, they found a car that had rolled 60 feet off the road and down a 40-foot slope, with tall brush surrounding it.
After guiding the fire agencies to the area, they discovered four people in the car with significant traumatic injuries, said Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue.
Because the crash site was hard to access due to the tall brush, downed trees and steep ground, rescuers used a ladder that had a rope off the end carrying a rescue basket to lower down the embankment and lift the victims. They were placed one at a time into the rescue basket, which was hauled up to Interstate 5 for ambulances and helicopters.
A Life Flight helicopter was dispatched and landed on Interstate 5, closing southbound lanes for around 25 minutes. A second Life Flight had to be dispatched from Astoria due to the severity of injuries, Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue said.
Four people were transported to local hospitals, two via Life Flight to Peace Health Southwest in Vancouver and another two via ambulance to St. Johns Medical Center in Longview.
As of Wednesday afternoon, "all patients are expected to survive their injuries but have varying levels of traumatic injuries and spinal fractures," said Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue.
The driver, who has not been identified, is being charged with vehicular assault and is suspected of impaired driving, according to Trooper Will Finn, Washington State Patrol District 5's public information officer.
