Car slides off Edgewood Road, into drainage ditch

UPDTE: Two teenage girls walked away from a rollover crash Thursday morning on Edgewood Road that left their car on its top in a drainage ditch.

Police said Emily Loney, 16, of Cedar Rapids, apparently was frustrated with slow-moving traffic around 7:15 a.m. when she tried to pass on the right gravel shoulder and lost control just south of Glass Road NE. The northbound car fish-tailed and entered the ditch backward before flipping onto its top into the ditch, according to police and witnesses.

Randy Benter, 45, of Cedar Rapids, who was a few cars behind the crash, pulled over and rushed to help with two other men. He said they were only able to open the passenger's side door about six inches. The girls were emotional, but did not appear hurt.

“We just tried to get the door open,” Benter said. “They were yelling on the inside.”

Firefighters arrived and cut the door off to free the two girls, who emerged from the ditch crying.

Joe Prull, of Cedar Rapids, said his daughter Marissa was the passenger in the car. Her friend had stayed overnight, and they had just left home to go to Kennedy High School.

Prull said he was thankful no one was hurt, and hoped it was simply a lesson learned for a new driver.

“Everyone needs a wake-up call, or a little scare now and then,” Prull said. “This should have been it.”

Sgt. Robert Collins said the driver would be charged with improper passing and failure to maintain control. He and witnesses agreed – the girls were very lucky.

“If that would have happened at night, they could have sat there for a long time,” Benter said. “It's pretty hard to see down there.”

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