A woman was injured Friday afternoon when her Toyota Camry ended up on its hood near Bonanza Drive on Highway 395.
"She's lucky," said witness Bob Schachten of Carson City, who saw the accident unfold as he drove behind the woman heading down into Carson City from Washoe Valley.
According to Schachten, the Camry was in the inside southbound lane and a red Jeep Cherokee was in the right lane, when a white, full-sized older van slowly entered the roadway from the northbound lanes crossing into the right southbound lane in front of the Cherokee at about 2:30 p.m.
"She had to be going like 10 mph," Schachten said of the van driver.
When the Cherokee swerved to avoid hitting the van, it ran into the side of the Camry, which sent it careening into the dirt divider, where it rolled before coming to a stop.
Schachten said the accident happened so quickly, he wasn't able to think of anything but helping the woman who appeared trapped in the overturned car.
"The most important thing was to get her help," he said.
After he and another witness freed the woman from the wreckage, Schachten said he stayed with her until help arrived.
The two were unable to communicate because the woman spoke no English, he said.
After the woman was taken by Care Flight helicopter, Schachten sat on the roadside in the closed southbound lane and filled out a police report.
"I'm still badly shaken," he admitted. "I keep replaying it in my head."
The van driver was cited for failure to yield. The injured woman's condition is unknown.
