Three Spokane Valley dealership employees honored after rescue

A rollover near Appleway Boulevard and Farr Road became an urgent rescue at about 2 p.m. on June 16. A Nissan Sentra struck a curb and flipped repeatedly. Its male driver remained pinned inside, while a female passenger was ejected and ended up beneath the vehicle. She was unconscious, and heat from the exhaust appeared to be burning her.

Capt. Cameron Smith and other Spokane Valley firefighters were nearby despite also handling the Upriver fire, which destroyed 14 homes, burned roughly 212 acres near Camp Sekani and killed a woman. Smith requested a specialized extrication crew, but the passenger needed to be freed sooner. AutoNation Subaru Spokane Valley employees Austin Butcher, Christian Bilbrey and Justin Arndt had already brought a long-handled hydraulic jack to the scene.

Following Smith’s directions, Butcher, 46, operated the jack and raised the car from the passenger. Bilbrey, 22, had spotted the wreck before firefighters arrived and asked Arndt, 37, to retrieve the equipment. Smith estimated their assistance shortened the rescue by about eight minutes. The woman had serious injuries and was later taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Smith nominated all three employees for Lifesaving Awards, recognizing their help during an emergency when every minute mattered.