By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A 25-year-old motorist was airlifted to a Seattle hospital after she ran into an excavator in a freeway work zone north of Centralia this evening.
The Honda Civic driven by Ashley E. Williams of Kent was totaled, according to the Washington State Patrol. The 2000 Cat excavator sustained about $300 damage, the state patrol reported. It was unoccupied.
Troopers and aid were called just before 5:30 p.m. to the collision on Interstate 5 just south of the Lewis-Thurston county line.
The responding trooper reported Williams was southbound when she lost control of her car, traveling to the right and hitting what was described as a huge piece of machinery.
Responders from Riverside Fire Authority found the dashboard and steering column of the car shoved into the passenger compartment leaving the driver pinned in only about 18 inches of space. Fire Capt. Scott Weinert called it a difficult extrication.
They cut through the door and got the woman out in less than 10 minutes, a feat Weinert labeled as outstanding work by his crew.
Williams suffered injuries to her pelvis and legs and was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center.
The trooper indicated the cause was driving under the influence of drugs.
It’s the second time in just over a month a driver has crashed into heavy equipment in the same construction zone. A Seattle woman lost control of her pickup truck in the northbound lanes on Sept 13 and struck several construction barrels before hitting a bulldozer.
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This news item was updated at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday Oct. 19, 2010
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter