An area woman was forced to escape her vehicle and swim to shore after crashing into the Wishkah River while driving northbound on Roosevelt Street past Fern Hill Cemetery.

The call came in at 10:55 a.m. on Friday morning, said Battalion Chief Dave Swinheart of the Aberdeen Fire Department — the reason for the crash is still unknown.

“We were initially dispatched for a vehicle off the road in the water, subject screaming for help,” Swinheart said in an interview. “The sole occupant of the car was able to self extricate and swim to the shore.”

A passerby had seen the crash and called it in, Swinheart said.

“She’s very lucky someone witnessed it,” Swinheart said. “Once the car sank, with the trees, it would have been very difficult for her to flag anybody down.”

The vehicle left the road and plunged into the river, sinking completely in the Wishkah, with only some debris to illuminate the location. The driver was able to get herself out and to shore, Swinheart said.

“She was able to swim to the shore unaccompanied. She was treated and transported for minor injuries to Harbor Regional Health,” Swinheart said. “Access to the river there makes access difficult because it was such a steep bank. We were able to get a ladder down to her and got her up to the ambulance.”

That stretch of road is a perilous one, Swinheart said.

“That’s a horrible road. There’s no guardrails or anything to stop you from going into the drink,” Swinheart said. “She’s very lucky to be able to self extricate. She was lucky she wasn’t knocked unconscious.”

Local agencies are working on the plan to get the car out of the river, Swinheart said.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.