Bicyclists Spot Crashed Car with Abandoned, Injured Passenger

Alcohol is suspected as a contributing factor of this resulting crash.

Photos courtesy: Clackamas County Sheriff's Office

(WEST LYNN, Ore.) - A group of bicyclists are credited with saving a woman seriously injured in a car crash and then reportedly left trapped in the wreckage, by the driver and another passenger.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Spokesman, Det. Jim Strovink, says deputies were called out to the scene Sunday, September 12, 2010, at 12:48 p.m.

They discovered a wrecked vehicle an estimated one-mile east of Stafford Road, on Mountain Road, in this unincorporated area of West Linn.

The exact address of this scene is situated directly across the roadway from the residential address of 22650 SW Mountain Road, in West Linn, Strovink said.

Strovink said, "The investigating Clackamas County Sheriff's deputy who arrived on the scene to investigate, credits these Good Samaritans for most probably saving the life of this woman found trapped in the wreckage."

"This deputy indicates the three bicyclists peddling along SW Mountain Road heard the woman's cries for help coming from the ravine – the wreckage was not visible from the road – and her calls for help were all the bicyclists were able to detect or hear from the roadway."

These bicyclists identified as 54-year old Ian Hamilton, of Lake Oswego; 52-year old Joe Griffin of Lake Oswego, and his wife, 51-year old Pattie Griffin.

"All three of these individuals are commended by Sheriff's Deputies for their valiant efforts while responding to this victims frantic calls for help," Strovink says an additional, unidentified, off-duty paramedic is reported to have stopped at the scene as well to assist, and then departed the site soon after rescue personnel arrived on the scene.

Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue personnel responded and performed the necessary extrication of this adult female from the mangled wreckage.

American Medical Response then transported this 29-year-old female patient to a local Portland hospital with severe injuries to her arm, shoulder and liver.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Deputies investigating this incident responded to the hospital to investigate this crash with the transported female patient.

The person rescued from the crashed vehicle is identified as 29-year old Nicole Amber Bacchus of southeast Portland, Oregon.

Bacchus provided information to investigators claiming she was a passenger in this automobile at the time of crash according to Strovink.

"And most disturbingly" Strovink said, "the described driver of her automobile at the time of the crash had fled the scene accompanied by two additional passengers -- leaving the injured Bacchus trapped inside the vehicle. The precise time of the crash remains under investigation."

He says Nicole Bacchus remains hospitalized with severe injuries sustained to her arm, shoulder and liver. She was admitted to the intensive care unit with a lacerated liver.

Strovink says investigators believe alcohol is suspected as a contributing factor of this resulting crash.

This remains an active investigation by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office as all investigative leads and suspects are pursued pertaining to this traffic crash with injuries.