Auto Plunges Into River At Yamashita

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

Another motor vehicle has fallen victim to the curve in State Highway 169 just south of the Yamashita Bridge. Early Thursday morning, Aug. 23, a northbound car left the highway in that location, went over the edge of the flood channel and ended up at the bottom of the ravine in the river.

At about 4:15 am Thursday, Overton resident Aaron Freeman was leaving his home for work in Las Vegas in his 2010 Mazda 6. In an interview, Freeman said that he had gone to bed late the night before and had not been able to sleep well.
“I’m usually not sleepy going to work, that’s usually more when I am coming home,” Freeman said. “But I guess that day was different.”

As he approached the curve in the highway near the Yamashita Bridge, Freeman said that he dozed for just a moment. That was just enough to send him off the road and into the ravine.
“I woke up right as I came off of the pavement into the gravel,” Freeman said. “I tried to correct it but the momentum took me right over the edge.”

After going airbourne, the vehicle landed with its driver’s side down in the water. The car began to take on water, but the river in that spot was only about 18 inches deep, Freeman said.

After regaining his bearings, Freeman crawled upwards out of the passenger side of the car. Then sitting on the vehicle, he used his phone to dial 911 and request help.
“No one was on the road to see it happen,” Freeman said. “And passing by you’d have never known. The bushes where I had gone over popped right back into place and it was pitch dark. Nobody would have had any idea I was down there.”

Volunteers from Moapa Valley Fire District responded within 15 minutes. Freeman had to shout up to them in order for them to locate where he was.
Within a few moments, one of the volunteers had descended into the ravine and assisted Freeman in climbing out.

Amazingly, Freeman had avoided serious injury in the accident. He reported suffering only a few bumps, bruises and pulled muscles. To be safe, he was transported by ambulance to UMC Hospital in Las Vegas where he underwent an x-ray and a CAT scan. But these tests found nothing wrong with him and he was released later that morning.

Though the experience was a harrowing one, Freeman was able to keep his good humor about it. “Of course, there are a lot of things I’d have done differently,” he said. “But all said, I got to drive, fly, boat and rapell; all before 5:00 am. How often can you say that?”

“One thing is certain,” he added with a smile. “A barrier at that location of the highway would have been nice that morning. I can see some real advantages to having that.”