A woman is recovering in hospital after being trapped under her vehicle overnight in the West Kootenay earlier this week.

An Ainsworth-area man was outside with his dog early on Monday morning (June 22) when he heard a woman cry for help, RCMP said in a news release.

He found a woman nearby, pinned beneath a grey Kia Forte about 4.5 metres down an embankment, just off Highway 31. The incident occurred at approximately 8 p.m. the previous night, police said.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene and worked together to extricate the injured woman, who was taken to an area hospital for medical treatment. Due to the severity of her injuries she was airlifted to a regional hospital for additional medical care.

Investigators believe that the woman was attempting to push her own vehicle off the roadway after she ran out of fuel. She lost control of the vehicle while attempting the maneuver on her own and became trapped, the news release said.

鈥淩CMP wish to commend the resident for responding to the victims cries for assistance,鈥� said Cpl. Jesse O鈥橠onaghey, spokesman for the RCMP Southeast District. 鈥淒oing so likely saved the woman鈥檚 life.鈥�

Anyone who may have witnessed anything is asked to contact Kaslo RCMP at 250-353-2225.

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