18-year-old drags himself to find help after being thrown from car crash, WA cops say

CORRECTION: The location of Quincy in relation to Seattle was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.

An 18-year-old “dragged himself” to the door of a home after being thrown from a car during a crash, Washington sheriff’s officials said.

Steven Torres Morales of Royal City was driving a Nissan Altima in Quincy when he lost control of the car, drove through a ditch and hit a concrete irrigation canal before becoming airborne, according to an Aug. 29 news release by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

The car landed in the yard of a house before crossing over a 75-foot-long irrigation pond and crashing into a tree, officials said.

The impact of the crash caused the car’s roof to smash against the tree, and Morales was thrown from the windshield, officials said.

Morales then “dragged himself across the driveway and to the door of the home” where the homeowners eventually found him around 6 a.m., the release said.

Police didn’t specify how long Morales was waiting for help.

After the homeowners found Morales, they called 911, and he was sent to a local hospital for critical injuries, the release said.

Quincy is about 150 miles southeast of Seattle.

This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 10:52 AM with the headline "18-year-old drags himself to find help after being thrown from car crash, WA cops say."