Woman rescued after being hurled into river from car in Los Angeles bridge crash

Friday, December 22nd 2006, 12:58 pm

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) A motorist was ejected from a car that crashed into a bridge railing Friday and teetered precariously as the woman lay seriously injured face-down in water 50 feet below, fire officials said.

The woman, whose name wasn't released, was rescued and hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.

Two cars were involved in a crash on the onramp of the Colorado Street bridge over the Los Angeles River just before 8 a.m. One of the vehicles broke through the railing, city fire department spokesman Brian Ballton said.

``The woman driver was ejected from the driver's side window and down 50 feet into the river,'' Ballton said. Firefighters found the woman unconscious and face down in 2 feet of water.

It wasn't known if the woman was wearing a seat belt or if the driver's window was down at the time of the crash.

The woman was revived and stabilized before firefighters hoisted her to the bridge alongside her demolished car. She was taken by ambulance to Huntington Memorial Hospital.

The area near Interstate 5 just northeast of downtown straddles the Los Angeles-Glendale line.

Initial reports said there were two victims. After an intensive search of the river, rescuers determined the ejected woman was the only one hurt, Ballton said.

It wasn't clear what happened to the driver of the other car.