A 27-year-old Chehalis woman was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after she apparently fell asleep and crashed her car on state Route 508 east of Onalaska Wednesday afternoon.
Elizabeth Schaefer is listed in satisfactory condition this morning after suffering what the state patrol described as a spine injury.
Her infant son, who was restrained in a car seat, sustained no injuries following the accident at approximately 2:42 p.m., according to the Washington State Patrol.
State Patrol Sgt. Jeff Speer said there were no skid marks at the scene. Combined with statements from family members, Speer said it appears Schaefer fell asleep.
“We found out from the family she had been up all night with a sick baby and was dropping him off” with her parents, Speer said.
The accident occurred on state Route 508 near mile post 11, approximately 11 miles east of Napavine and just outside Onalaska.
Schaefer was traveling east when her 2009 Ford Fusion crossed the center line and the westbound lane, according to the state patrol. The vehicle went in to a ditch and struck a cement culvert before rolling and coming to a rest on its top in a field 25 feet away from the roadway, according to the state patrol.
Schaefer was cited for second-degree negligent driving, according to the state patrol.
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Eric Schwartz: (360) 807-8245
