Driver flies off Arizona highway, survives 400-foot roll downhill

PHOENIX – The driver of a car that flew off the road in northern Arizona and then crashed and rolled down an embankment was expected to recover, authorities said.

Police in Jerome said the driver in Monday’s accident on State Route 89A went 121 feet in the air before landing and tumbling 300-400 feet down rugged terrain.

He had been going 65 mph in a 20 mph zone, he later told authorities.

First responders found the man semiconscious inside the car after getting a call around 5:40 p.m. about an accident, according to the police Facebook post.

The rescue required “mechanical extrication,” police said.

The hill was so steep and the landscape so craggy an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter was called in.

The injured man, who may or may not have been wearing a seat belt, was taken to Deer Valley Medical Center in Phoenix, about 95 miles away.

Police said he was listed in good condition.

The accident was under investigation.

Array

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