Woman rescued after SUV goes off cliff
CORBETT, Ore. – A woman was trapped in her SUV after it went off a cliff and down an embankment near Women’s Forum Park along the Columbia River Highway in Corbett.
Deputies said the crash was an accident, but the driver was under the influence.
It happened just before noon on Saturday, according to Lt. Steve Alexander with the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. The woman's Toyota 4runner went over a cliff and about 100 feet down an embankment near a parking lot.
Deputies said one person who saw the crash climbed down to the SUV to check on the woman who was driving. She was conscious and said she was in pain.
Corbett firefighters used ropes to pull the woman to safety. She was talking to rescuers as they pulled her up to the parking lot, Alexander said. She was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to a hospital.
Deputies cited 57-year-old Kim McCauley of Gresham for DUII and reckless driving.
So.. ban alcohol or control alcohol?
 @Benjamin Schniffle  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States
http://img.fotocommunity.com/photos/1628391.jpg
 @Benjamin Schniffle I was thinking maybe ban Gravity..
But it's the law..
Drunk before noon? Â Impressive.Â
This is another stupid looser that is going to cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars
because they were drunk. We really need to bring back public caneing. It wouldn't stop the problem
but it should be entertaining.
I hope this makes National newsÂ
Hope those drinks were worth it lady!
The moron woman was drunk, go figure.
Ironic that the park was named for women. I hope she recovers without any lasting ill effects from the crash.
If her injuries were not life threatening then why stick her with a $16,000 helicopter that will not be paid for by her insurance?
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Air ambulances are very expensive and rarely paid for by insurance.
@RalphCramden She was drunk so I for one am glad it will cost her an extra $16k.Â
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Everybody on this planet knows it is a bad idea to drink and drive. The penalties are not nearly harsh enough.
 @oh4FSÂ
Well that changes the whole picture. I agree. Cost drunks as much as we can because as you state, the penalties are just not enough.
 @RalphCramden Probably determined after they called one out and before realizing her injuries weren't as severe as they assumed them to be.  At that point, the helicopter has been called and provides a much more direct route to the hospital.
 @CTWUÂ
Send the helicopter home. No transport, no bill.
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Folks need to understand that air ambulance is very expensive and can cost as much as a nice used car. They are also very aggressive in getting their money and will sue the patient to get it.
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The patient needs to be informed of the cost and that insurance may not pay for it (reality is that few insurance companies will pay for helicopter transport). Those that can make a decision will more than likely opt out.
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But they are not informed that they may have to pay the whole bill.
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Even ground ambulances are not paid for my most insurance companies. Most will only pay if there is a life threat and decline transports that are not an immediate life threat.
 @ChopperPilotÂ
That is true. The helicopter crew can't refuse the transport.
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The ground crews don't think about cost to the patient and just set up an LZ and call in the bird. Many times the patient is stable and don'e need a helicopter rode, or the bill that goes along with it.
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Because of mandatory trauma entry criteria some folks have to go to a trauma center and that is often the criteria of using a helicopter. In this case it was delayed extrication.
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Corbett is all volunteers and are not as adept at patient assessment as full time EMS personnel. There are few times when full time people will turn back a helicopter because of the liability issue if they under appreciate the injuries.
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The bottom line is that the helicopter is used way too much and patients are stuck with a huge bill and in this economy few can afford the extra money.
Actually in regards to that, it is up to the call of the on scene personnel. While it is true about the cost of the air ambulance, the determination to utilize transport rests with the response crew. They're job is to get the pt from one place to the hospital ASAP and the most direct route with the highest level of care. You can't always inform a patient of the cost when they are dangling in a tree or bleeding profusely.
Even though they might not look injured, they might have internal injuries not noticed initially. So when the shock wears off then they crash.
@RalphCramden @CTWU
The article on KOIN has much more info. How the heck she managed to go over the wall at the Women's Forum View Point I can't comprehend.
 @brentbusch KATU is too busy hyping the Sweet Cakes cake story and pushing their anti gun bias.
The vehicle decided! At least for now, my conclusion is as good as anyone's.
"The womanâs injuries were apparently not life-threatening."Â That is good news.
 @HenryBowman It is almost always the drunk that escapes with little to no injuries. Their innocent victims are usually the unlucky ones. Thankfully there were no families around for her to take out.