A woman was extracted from her vehicle by first responders after it veered into the Monongahela River on Friday afternoon, Washington County authorities reported. The crash occurred near State Route 88 and Grandview Way in Speers Borough, sending the car down an embankment and leaving it partially submerged on its side in the river, as reported by CBS News Pittsburgh.
Washington County 911 dispatchers confirmed to WPXI that the event took place around 2:20 p.m. Charleroi Fire Chief Robert Whiten Jr. stated that the rescue was exceptionally challenging, with the car having careened over railroad tracks before becoming airborne.
Multiple agencies, including the Charleroi Fire Department, collaborated on the rescue operation, which was described as "complicated" due to the precarious position of the vehicle. The Charleroi Fire Department says that it took around 30 minutes to free the woman from the severely damaged car, as detailed by WPXI.
Once the woman was extricated from the car, river rescue teams helped transfer her to a boat, and she was subsequently airlifted to a hospital. "I've been in the fire for almost 50 years, and that was probably one of the most challenging that I've seen and been involved in," Chief Whiten said, as per CBS News Pittsburgh. The condition of the woman, following the harrowing incident, remains undisclosed.
