Marysville Woman Reunited with Hero

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June 12, 2017
Edward Smith

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Marysville Woman Reunited with Hero

I’m Ed Smith, a Marysville Car Accident Lawyer. During the weekend, a woman who nearly drowned after she was involved in a car accident was reunited with the officer who saved her life.

What Happened?

The accident occurred off of Clements Road near Yuba City. The woman, Mary Russell, had been a passenger in a vehicle of a suspected DUI driver from Yuba City. The two were reportedly returning home in the early morning from a party at a mutual friend’s home when the driver veered off of the road, crashing the car upside-down in a nearby irrigation canal.

According to reports from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the man who called in to notify them of the accident indicated that he saw the car flip over multiple times and then disappear.

A Close Call

The CHP officers who responded to the call found a man with soaking wet clothes hastily walking away from where the vehicle had crashed. When officers interviewed the man, he indicated that there had been no passengers in the car. However, while investigating the wreck, CHP Officer Steven Klippel heard a muffled gurgling coming from the car, called out to fellow responders, and immediately jumped in to remove the woman from the submerged vehicle.


The girl had attempted to swim upward into the trunk of the car in order to breathe. However, when Klippel found her, she had been totally submerged and due to a three-and-a-half minute extrication, medical officials found that she had nearly drowned and had no pulse. After she was rescued from the car, responders were able to resuscitate the woman and immediately sent her to the nearest hospital to treat her traumatic injuries.

Meeting her Heroes

On the evening of Thursday, June 1, 2017, Russell had a chance to meet the people who saved her life. Russell told reporters that she feels the need to express to people that life isn’t to be wasted. She went on to say that she wants her life to mean something. She wants her son to be proud of her and her accomplishments. Russell also said that she now has a goal of becoming a first responder herself.

A Rescuer’s Thoughts

Klippel spoke with reporters about the incident and said that it had turned out perfectly. He mentioned that the situation had him expecting the worst, but he hoped for the best and that is what happened. He noted that giving a hug to someone he rescued was a proud moment in his life.

Marysville Personal Injury Lawyers

I’m Ed Smith, a Marysville Car Accident lawyer. Motor vehicle collisions usually happen suddenly and result in serious injuries. If you, someone in your family, or a person who you care about have received injuries as the result of a vehicle collision, please call my office at (530) 392-9400 for friendly advice at no cost. You can also reach me at my toll-free telephone number (800) 404-5400.

Since the year 1982, I and my team have been working hard to help the residents of Marysville and nearby areas to recover the funds that they are rightly owed in cases including instances of wrongful death and personal injury.

Some of my client reviews and ratings are located on:

I have membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This is a forum for trial lawyers who have received top ratings from among their peers. All the forum lawyers have either achieved verdicts or reached settlements of over $1 million USD.

Some of my Past Verdicts and Settlements from my injury lawyers and I can be viewed here.

Finally, make sure you visit AutoAccident.com. I founded this website to be the best online resource for getting the information you need on personal injuries and motor vehicle collisions.

Image Attribution: Wikimedia Commons

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