Firefighters Rescue Three After Vehicle Tumbles Down 125 Feet Down Highway 17 Embankment
SANTA CLARA COUNTY (CBS SF) -- Three injured crash victims were rescued Sunday night after a vehicle tumbled 125 feet down an embankment on Highway 17 north of the Lexington Reservoir, authorities said.
The Santa Clara County fire department said crews were dispatched to the area of the highway north of Idylwild Road on reports of a crash at around 8:46 p.m.
Arriving firefighters discovered the vehicle approximately 125 feet off the roadway, down a steep hillside. Two of the occupants had self-extricated from the vehicle and one remained trapped.
Due to the steep terrain and technical nature of the rescue, crews worked to create a rope rescue system to safely lower equipment and rescuers to the vehicle, extricate the trapped victim and raise all three patients back to the roadside.
The operations took nearly two hours. All three crash victims were transported to area hospitals by Santa Clara County EMS. One victim suffered major injuries, one moderate injuries and one minor injuries.
Cause of the crash remains under investigation.