A Fulton woman was injured and trapped inside her car after it struck a guard rail on westbound Interstate 70 on Thursday morning, a Columbia Fire Department news release stated.
Fire crews had to use hydraulic tools and equipment to cut through the side of the car to remove the driver, Mary Reifsteck, 39, of Fulton, from the heavily damaged vehicle in just over five minutes, the release stated.
Reifsteck was transported to University Hospital with moderate injuries immediately after she was removed from the vehicle, Battalion Chief Gary L. Warren Jr. said. As of 7:11 p.m., Reifsteck was in good condition.
At about 10:30 a.m., the gray 2003 Ford Taurus was traveling westbound when it struck a guard rail, which impaled the rear of the car. Reifsteck was wearing her seatbelt.
The Department of Natural Resources was also notified because the vehicle's fuel tank leaked into a nearby ditch and seeped into the Hinkson Creek by the time fire crews arrived, the news release stated.
No other injuries were reported during the incident.