Signal Hill Rescue First For Emergency Responders

A young driver is in the hospital recovering from serious injuries sustained after her vehicle plunged over a rocky cliff at Signal Hill in Newfoundland. The scene of the crash was quite spectacular as a vehicle dangled on the cliff for several hours. Although the driver sustained injuries, she is expected to recover.

The empty vehicle was a first for local firefighters who have never been faced with which such an extraction. According to St. John’s platoon fire chief Rick Mackey,

“I can’t even speculate on how or why she managed to be up there,”

The area is quite popular for hikers and nature lovers. The priority to remove the vehicle as quickly as possible was hindered by high winds. First responders wanted to ensure that the vehicle did not slip down the cliff further, potentially causing harm to hikers who may have been in the area.

Single Driver Lucky to be Alive After Signal Hill Crash

According to the Platoon chief, the woman was the only occupant of the vehicle, and foul play is not suspected. Law enforcement, however, is investigating to piece together the details of what happened. It is unknown if the driver was somehow distracted and misjudged the road. The vehicle was in an area that had been closed to vehicular traffic. Authorities confirmed that an access road gate was open and damaged at the time of the incident.

Curiosity seekers lined the road to get a glimpse of the dangling vehicle. Once the scene was cleared, rubberneckers headed up Signal Hill to get a better look at what had occurred. In a strange way, this driver was extremely lucky. It is not known if the she was thrown from the vehicle or jumped out as the car began to descend the cliff. Had there been an occupant in the vehicle the situation may have been quite different. With the added weight, the car may have plunged all the way down the cliff with a very different outcome!