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Driver spent 36 hours trapped inside car after crash north of Lake Pleasant

The driver survived off of snacks and some water before she was rescued on the morning of June 15.

YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — A driver was rescued Saturday morning north of Lake Pleasant after spending about 36 hours trapped inside her wrecked vehicle.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office was dispatched at about 8 a.m. on June 15 to reports of a crash about 10 miles north of Lake Pleasant on Castle Hot Springs Road. 

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Una mujer pasó 36 horas atrapada dentro de su automóvil después de un accidente al norte de Lake Pleasant

Upon arrival, deputies located a car about 200 feet down from an embankment and the car's female driver was trapped inside. Law enforcement officials managed to remove and carry the driver up to safety. She was flown to a Phoenix hospital after experiencing dehydration and sustaining minor injuries. 

Credit: Yavapai County Sheriff's Office

YCSO said the car crash occurred 36 hours earlier. The driver managed to survive off of some snacks and water she had in the car. 

At this time, YCSO has not said what led to the crash.

   

UP TO SPEED

What is the Valley?:

“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest. 

The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:

  • Mesa
  • Chandler
  • Scottsdale
  • Tempe
  • Glendale
  • Surprise
  • Peoria
  • Gilbert
  • El Mirage
  • Avondale
  • Litchfield Park
  • Goodyear
  • Buckeye

Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.

The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.

How big is Maricopa County?

Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.

The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).

One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.

The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.

The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.

On Saturday morning around 8 a.m., YCSO responded to a report of an accident about 10 miles north of Lake Pleasant on Castle Hot Springs Rd.  Morristown Fire and a DPS Ranger helicopter also responded to the scene.  When Deputies arrived, the vehicle was located about 200 feet down an embankment with the female driver trapped inside.  A YCSO Sergeant, and others helped remove and carry her up to the DPS Ranger.  During the investigation, it was learned the driver had crashed 36 hours prior to the rescue.  The woman was dehydrated but had non-life-threatening injuries.  She survived off a few snacks and some water she had in her vehicle.  She was flown to a Phoenix hospital and is now recovering. 

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