Snow Plow Driver Uncovers Woman in Car Trapped Under Thick Blanket of Snow
Parking: People have a lot of opinions about it and a wide range of skill levels when it comes to execution. Parallel parking is one of the most daunting driving feats a new driver can face, and being able to shimmy into a tight spot is a fabulous life skill.
Then there are those who wouldn’t park straight in a parking spot if the entire lot were empty — you know, the people who make you wonder if they ever learned to color inside the lines.
But sometimes drivers make plainly terrible decisions, like one unnamed car owner who decided to park next to a fire hydrant in Anaheim, California, last week.
On Feb. 26, the Anaheim Fire & Rescue tweeted, “Ever wonder what happens when a car is parked in front of a fire hydrant and a fire breaks out? Is a closer parking spot worth the broken windows and the citation and towing fees to Anaheim PD?”
They explained that no, they could not put the hose under or over the car because it needs a “direct line out of the hydrant.” They just wanted people to realize the consequences of making this sort of choice.
Another poor parking choice? Parking illegally and letting your car get buried in snow.
The exact circumstances around why a middle-aged woman was found in her car, completely buried in snow, have not been revealed. Only the fact that she was has been released,
The City of South Lake Tahoe’s website put out a News Flash on Feb. 26 regarding their own local parking problems.
“One of the biggest issues we’ve had this winter is illegally parked cars,” Public Works Director Ray Jarvis said, according to the update. “They don’t just delay the snow removal process they’re dangerous for everyone involved.”
Then the news release went to describe a very curious incident that took place earlier in the month, on Feb. 17.
“During the last storm, a snow plow operator hit a completely buried car that was parked in the city easement on Cedar Ave,” the media release read. “After digging out the driver side, a 48-year old woman was discovered inside the vehicle.
“She told SLTPD she had been in the car for 4-5 hours. Thankfully she was OK, but the outcome could have been much worse.”
Experts think she may have been in the car even longer than the time she indicated, based on the sheer amount of snow that was covering her vehicle. Not only was her dangerous parking hazardous for the snow plow, but she was also risking herself in the process.
“Being inside of a buried car, or starting a car buried in snow, could have deadly consequences,” Chris Fiore with the City of South Lake Tahoe said. “If we had not gotten to her, I’m afraid this story would have a very different ending.”
It seems that if she had truly been scared, she could have honked the horn or done something to draw attention to her plight, but she doesn’t seem to have made any effort to extract herself from the situation. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, authorities suspect she was probably homeless and living in her car, which would explain the amount of snow piled up on it.
So whether you live somewhere it snows or somewhere it doesn’t, respect others around you by following the rules of the road and exercising common sense.
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