Driver, passenger airlifted to hospital after vehicle drives off Angeles Crest Highway
Two women were airlifted to Pasadena’s Huntington Hospital Wednesday night after the vehicle they were driving lost control on Angeles Crest Highway and careened some 80 feet down an embankment, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP spokesman Officer Vince Ramirez said the vehicle was heading southbound on Angeles Crest near Mile Marker 27 just before 7 p.m. Wednesday when the driver, apparently traveling at a high rate of speed, strayed from the lane of travel.
“The driver over-corrected and lost control of the vehicle,” Ramirez said Thursday. “At some point the vehicle went over the side.”
A unit from La Cañada’s Fire Station No. 82 responded to a “still alarm” at 6:58 p.m., meaning the call was made internally and not from a citizen dialing 911, according to Maria Grycan, a community services liaison for L.A. County Fire Department’s Division III.
Grycan said both the driver and the passenger in the vehicle had to be extracted from the vehicle before being air-lifted to Huntington Hospital, where they were treated for minor to moderate injuries.
Lt. David Holwager was serving as watch commander for the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station at 7:02 p.m. Wednesday when a call came in requesting help from the Montrose Search and Rescue team. A unit responded and was soon assisted by Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s Air Rescue 5 helicopter, which was able to extract the two accident victims and remove them from the scene.
Ramirez said CHP officers closed down Angeles Crest Highway in both directions at 7:27 p.m. to accommodate the rescue effort. The thoroughfare was reopened by 8:45 p.m., the officer confirmed.
