Indiana woman saved after being trapped in car that flipped over in crash on dark, quiet road
Lake County Sheriff says good Samaritan helped prevent potential ‘tragedy’ in Gary
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A woman trapped in a car that crashed in Indiana was rescued after a mechanic heading to work managed to help police track down the exact location of the wreck.
Police said that officers and emergency responders spent two hours unsuccessfully looking for the vehicle in Gary after a woman called 911 around 3:40 a.m. on New Year’s Day to report that she and another adult female were stuck in a car that flipped over, according to The Associated Press.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said one of the women eventually got out of the car and flagged down a passerby – identified by WLS-TV as mechanic Greg Zellers – who ultimately led authorities to the crash site.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"She had told me that they were in an accident and their car was over here on its top and one of her friends was stuck in it," Zeller told the station, which reported that he was heading into work around 6:30 a.m. before seeing the woman and following her to an area about 50 yards off the road. "It was upside down. You couldn't see headlights, tail lights. I wasn't able to see anything."
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Greg Zellers told WLS-TV that he got out of his vehicle and followed a woman to the scene of the crash in Gary, Indiana early Monday morning. (ABC7 Chicago/WLS-TV)
"They asked me to stay until they got here," he added. "So I did, but then I needed to get to work."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Zellers told WLS-TV that the road along where the crash happened is rarely traveled except by trucks going to a nearby steel mill.
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The area in Gary, Indiana, where the crash happened, according to WLS-TV. (ABC7 Chicago/WLS-TV)
Meanwhile, the woman trapped in the car told police she could not feel her legs and was airlifted to a hospital, according to the AP.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said he appreciated the efforts of the passerby, the two officers and first responders who rescued the woman.
Greg Zellers told WLS-TV that the car's lights were not visible from the road. (ABC7 Chicago/WLS-TV)
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"Their diligence helped to prevent what could have been a tragedy," he said in a statement.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.