A California woman is recovering in the hospital today after her Ford Edge experienced brake failure and ultimately caused her to drive through a fence and crash into multiple trees, according to sources.
The crash was reported at approximately 10:45 a.m. The driver, Janice Elaine Smith, had to wait almost an hour before rescue teams were able to cut her out of her car. Firefighters from CAL FIRE and the Kelseville Fire Protection District had to cut through the roof in order to reach Smith and get her out of the SUV.
She was conscious, but she reportedly sustained moderate to major injuries and was airlifted out of county.
The crash occurred when Smith was attempting to drive down a hill and was unable to stop. She then drove across a T-intersection, through a fence and nearly 120 feet into private property before she crashed into several trees. Smith hit four or five trees before her vehicle came to a final stop. Smith said her vehicle’s brakes had failed. There were no skid marks or signs of braking on the path Smith was believed to have driven on.
Further down hill from where the SUV came to rest, about 300 feet away, were several homes, but they were not threatened. Drugs and alcohol were not believed to be a factor in the crash.