Woman Stranded In Car For 6 Days After Crash Suing General Motors
FAIRPLAY, Colo. (CBS4) - A Douglas County woman is suing General Motors after a crash left her two lower legs amputated.
Kristin Hopkin's Chevy Malibu crashed off Highway 285 in May of 2014. The lawsuit claims negligence when the safety features failed to work in Hopkin's car.
Hopkins was suspended upside down in her car for six days. A passerby happened to notice the wrecked car below. The 45-year-old lived to tell her story.
"I tried to survive," said Hopkins in an interview with CNN shortly after her crash. "I tried to find somehow to get out of the car and tried to flag down someone."
Hopkins would end up having both her legs amputated from below the knee. While in rehab learning to walk with prosthetics, she says she received a recall letter saying her Malibu's safety system may not work if is she's in a crash. Her lawsuit alleges that suddenly, without warning, the Malibu's electronic stability control failed to engage her power steering and suddenly gave out. She believes that caused her car to fly off the mountain near Fairplay.
The lawsuit says the car's crash safety features, which all Colorado drivers depend on, failed when Hopkins needed it most.
"I'm very thankful to be able to see my kids grow up and move on with their lives," Hopkins said.
Hopkins was rescued after hikers found her badly mangled car. She was airlifted to St. Anthony Hospital. Authorities said no tracks on the roadway were left from the crash and that the car was hidden from traffic. Investigators said they believe the car may have descended more than 140 feet and rolled many times before stopping in an aspen grove.
Jennifer Brice is a reporter with CBS4 focusing on crime and courts. Follow her on Twitter @CBS4Jenn.
