New Hampshire woman, 70, rescued after being trapped for hours after crash

EPPING, N.H. -- A 70-year-old woman was rescued after spending more than eight hours trapped in her car following a rollover crash in New Hampshire.

The crash happened around 10 p.m. Monday on state Route 27 in Epping. Fire officials say a passer-by found the vehicle around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. The woman, identified as Janis Cathcart, of Somersworth, was conscious and alert when rescuers reached her.

She was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital. A spokeswoman said she was in fair condition on Wednesday.

Officials said the wheel of Cathcart’s car caught the soft shoulder and sent it off the road. It went down an embankment and rolled onto its side.

Epping Fire Department Lt. Paul Hanley told CBS Boston station WBZ-TV that the embankment was 20-25 feet off the road and the car was all black, so it was difficult to see in the dark.

Cathcart couldn’t find her cellphone, but was able to remove her seat belt and crawl into the back seat, where she had extra clothes to keep her warm.

Fire Chief Don DeAngelis told WMUR-TV it was a challenge to get her out of the car.

“She was trapped inside, so after we cut her out, they removed her through the roof and on a backboard,” he said.