East Ridge: Car accident injures one

An early-morning accident in East Ridge injured one man and required an intense effort by rescue workers to free him.

The driver has been identified as Steven Clayton of East Ridge, said Officer Eric Hopkins, police spokesman. Mr. Clayton was transported to the Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Officer Hopkins said.

At 5 a.m., East Ridge police responded to the area of Summit Avenue and Franklin Place on reports of residents hearing a vehicle horn repeatedly blowing, Officer Hopkins said.

Officers searching the area located a pickup truck on its side down a steep embankment with the driver trapped inside, he said. East Ridge Fire and Rescue and Memorial EMS then responded to the scene to extricate the driver, he said.

Using chainsaws to clear the underbrush in order to gain access to the overturned vehicle, firefighters worked for nearly an hour, using the Jaws of Life to remove the driver from the vehicle, Officer Hopkins said. Because of the sharp incline, firefighters used ropes and a metal-wire basket to bring the driver to the roadway.

Traffic investigators are still investigating the cause of the accident, Officer Hopkins said, but criminal charges are not expected.