LA CONCHITA : Car Crash Traps Soviet Emigre Bride

A Soviet woman who came to the United States three weeks ago to get married was trapped inside a car for 30 minutes after her new husband lost control of his vehicle on U.S. 101 just south of the Santa Barbara County line.

The woman, Elina Levinson, 25, suffered minor injuries in the accident, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. Saturday. She was treated at Ventura County Medical Center and was released. The driver, 26-year--old Alex Gilshteyn of West Hollywood, was not hurt.

Gilshteyn, who came to the United States as a Soviet Jewish refugee about three years ago, said he was glad the accident didn’t happen in the Soviet Union. “Everything was fine, the emergency people arrived in a couple of minutes,” he said.

“In Russia, an emergency can take one or two hours, and if it’s a Saturday or Sunday, all the doctors are busy.”

The California Highway Patrol said Gilshteyn was driving north on the highway about 60 m.p.h. when he changed lanes and lost control of his Volvo. The car flipped three times before landing on the opposite side of the center divider.

Gilshteyn was unharmed, but his wife was trapped in the passenger’s seat about 30 minutes.

“We had to cut through the car to get her out,” said Capt. Hal Moore of the Ventura County Fire Department, who was involved in the rescue.

Gilshteyn, an optician at a West Hollywood clinic, said the accident turned out to be “a good experience. The attitude of the people was very friendly.”