A 23-year-old woman who was driving a car that plunged into the river escaped by kicking out her windshield, a spokesperson for Saskatoon police said.
The woman plummeted off the Circle Drive North Bridge after she lost control of her car. Alyson Edwards, a spokesperson for the Saskatoon police, said the driver was shoulder checking when her car hit the side of the bridge and slid along the guardrail before plunging 13 metres onto the ice.
“She lost control due to icy road conditions. It didn't have anything to do with speed. In fact, we’ve had people report to us that she was going well under the speed limit,” Edwards said.
An official with Saskatoon Fire and Protective Services said had the car not slid along the guard rail, the vehicle would have landed in the water.
“This young lady is very lucky. We do have [motor vehicle accidents] on bridges. There’s always collisions, but to this magnitude — very unusual,” said Luc Durand of the Saskatoon fire department.
The driver managed to climb out onto the roof of her car and onto a piece of ice as the vehicle was sinking.
After being helped to safety by first responders, she was transported to the Royal University Hospital.
She suffered only minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
Edwards said the car’s windshield broke when it hit the ice and the woman was able to kick out the remainder of the window to escape the vehicle.
