Woman injured after exiting patrol vehicle traveling on I-5 near Ridgefield

A woman was seriously injured Monday afternoon when she reportedly escaped from a Clark County deputy’s patrol vehicle traveling freeway speeds on Interstate 5 near Ridgefield.

The woman’s identity was not released late Monday afternoon. She was taken to an area hospital for treatment, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

The deputy had been transporting the woman to the Clark County Jail for allegations of fourth-degree domestic violence assault and interfering with a 911 call. While en route, the woman was able to undue her seat belt and exited the patrol vehicle through the rear passenger’s side window, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

“Due to the seriousness of the injury and the deputy being on duty, the Southwest Regional Independent Investigation Team will be conducting the investigation,” the news release states. The investigation will be led by the Washington State Patrol.

The deputy was placed on critical incident leave, which is standard protocol.

The incident on southbound I-5 near Northeast 199th Street blocked the right lane, causing a traffic jam about 6 miles long.

Dispatch logs show deputies, troopers, firefighters and medics all responded to the scene.

Reporter Jerzy Shedlock contributed to this report.