Woman rescued after car goes off I-74
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Wayne Township firefighters saved a woman who was trapped in her car for about an hour, after driving off the road, and down an embankment.
The crash happened right before midnight Thursday on I-74 near Eagle Creek on the city’s west side.
Firefighter Nolan Bastien is used to being a hero, at least in the eyes of his four and a half year old daughter, Olivia. But early Friday morning, another set of arms wrapped around him.
“To be honest I thought she was just grabbing a hold of me so we could pick her up, and then I realized what was going on. So, I kind of smiled,” he said.
24-year-old Nicole Stinson hugged and embraced Bastien before he pulled her from her car. She had been trapped inside for about an hour.
“She was just really happy to be free. Her feet were trapped in kind of a strange way,” he said.
ISP said they believe Stinson had been drinking prior to the crash. Officials said she ran off the side of the road, slamming into the guardrail and sliding down the embankment 20 or more feet.
A truck driver who was passing by noticed her headlights on and called 911. Bastien said Stinson’s car landed on all four wheels, but that Stinson’s foot was trapped underneath the pedal, and firefighters faced serious challenges trying to rescue her.
“Moving all the equipment from the interstate down to the scene is a lot more difficult. That’s a lot of equipment, a lot of weight to move that distance. Plus, it was wet, so it was slippery. So, it made it a lot more difficult than normal,” said Bastien.
Stinson was eventually freed for her car. Crews strapped her onto a gurney and carried her up the embankment, over the guardrail and to the safety of an ambulance.
For Bastien, it’s his job to save lives and he doesn’t see himself as a hero. “It makes you feel good about your job. That’s what we train for. That’s what we show up to work for everyday. It definitely feels good to be able to help somebody,” he said.
Stinson was taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital in stable condition. Police say she did take a blood test, but the results will not be in for a few weeks.