Indy woman 'had a strong will to live' after I-65 crash

A severely injured Indianapolis woman crawled through her shattered windshield and up a 30-foot embankment to flag down help after her car left a highway in Tippecanoe County and rolled under a bridge.

Indiana State Police said 31-year-old Tanequa Long was hospitalized Monday after several passers-by saw her waving for help along I-65 south of Lafayette. She suffered a broken ankle and life-threatening internal injuries in the crash.

Long apparently fell asleep sometime between 2 and 4 a.m. Monday, and her vehicle veered into the median, went airborne and rolled under a bridge, according to a news release. The crash left her out of view of the highway, so she had to crawl out of her car and up the embankment in order to wave for help.

She wasn't found until after 8 a.m. — at least four hours after the accident. Several people administered first aid until emergency responders arrived and transported her to IU Health Arnett Hospital in Lafayette. She was later transferred to IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

"It took a lot for me to climb that embankment without having a broken ankle and other injuries," Trooper Derrick Scott. "She had a strong will to live to be able to endure the pain she was feeling."

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Call Star reporter Brian Eason at (317) 444-6129. Follow him on Twitter: @brianeason.