Men rescue woman trapped in ditch

KELSO, Mo. -- Ken LeGrand knew something wasn't right when he saw steam rising from a ditch on County Road 311 Sunday night about 8:30 p.m. Lightning from the thunderstorm that had just passed couldn't have started a fire in the wet straw lining the road, he said.

LeGrand got out of his truck to look for the source of the steam and found a Buick owned by Bonnie Crawford, 70, of Scott City wedged in the narrow ditch. The car was partially covered in dirt, resting driver's side down, LeGrand said.

He said he could hear a noise coming from inside the car.

"It was lucky I was just coming home from work, because I had my tools with me," the Scott City resident said.

After calling 911 to report the accident, LeGrand and his neighbor Jeff Miller, who had just arrived at the scene after LeGrand called him, used LeGrand's crowbar to break the passenger side window. The men then pulled Crawford out of the vehicle.

"She was a little lady, so we were able to lift her out without too many problems," LeGrand said. "She was real shook up and could only remember her name and phone number. She had to have had a concussion."

There was about a foot of water in the ditch at the time, according to LeGrand. He said he doubted Crawford could have drowned unless she lost consciousness.

She was taken by ambulance to Saint Francis Medical Center for treatment. Crawford's condition was unknown at press time. The Missouri Highway Patrol listed her injuries as moderate.

LeGrand said Crawford was fortunate he drove by before sundown.

"That's the ironic thing about it all," LeGrand said. "Ten minutes later, it would have gotten dark, and no one would've seen her car until the next morning."

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