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Airborne car lands on SOM Center
(by Sue Reid - September 19, 2012)
Airborne car lands on SOM Center
By SUE REID
A Solon woman and her 3-year-old daughter suffered minor injuries Tuesday following an incident on the Route 422 freeway, where her car lost control and went airborne over guardrails and onto SOM Center Road (Route 91).
Fire Chief William J. Shaw noted Tuesday that the accident demonstrated the value of child safety seats as the girl was properly restrained in her seat.
“If you look at the magnitude of this accident in that the driver went off the freeway and was airborne 25 to 30 feet, and to crash into a guardrail and her injuries were extremely minor, it demonstrates the importance of having kids properly restrained in child safety seats,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
At 3:28 p.m., Katherine Dardzinski, 33, was eastbound on 422 when her car somehow went into the median just west of the overpass for 91, continued east on the grassy median between east and westbound lane guardrails and approached the drop-off from the freeway to the road below.
At that point, police reported, Ms. Dardzinski went airborne over the guardrails between two bridges of the overpass, down the slope, across the southbound lanes of 91 and into the guardrail that divides the north and southbound lanes. The car landed on its wheels and does not appear to have ever rolled over.
Ms. Dardzinski could not offer any reasons as to what happened, as she did not remember. At this point, there are no charges, police said.
After the accident, Ms. Dardzinski and her daughter were conscious and alert, Mr. Shaw said. The mother was transported to Hillcrest Hospital due to broken bones, while the daughter was taken for observation.
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