You don’t need to live in a cold part of the world to realize that the winter has been difficult. Between the freezing cold in the Midwest and the snow in many parts of the country, it has been all over the news. Meanwhile, snowplow drivers are busy in Lake Tahoe trying to keep the roads passable.

One driver hit a bump while he was plowing the road and in the process, saved somebody’s life. A parked car was buried under several feet of snow and he accidentally hit it. When he got out to investigate, he found that a woman was trapped inside the vehicle.

The snowplow operator called for backup so that the vehicle could be dug out of the snow bank. When doing so, the driver and police officers found that the woman was inside. She was noticed when she waved her hand against the glass.

The 48-year-old woman said that she was in the car for as much as five hours but because there was so much snow around it, they feel that it was a lot longer. She was in good condition but it could’ve been much worse.

They feel that the woman was homeless and she didn’t have a cell phone. She may have been living in the car. This called for the city spokesman, Chris Fiore to remind people about being illegally parked when the weather is inclement.

Apparently, this is an ongoing problem and it puts a lot of people in danger. It can be difficult for snow crews operating the plows to know if it is a pile of snow or a car and if one is struck, could be disastrous.

Fiore said the following to a local news company:

“We say this all the time, but it is so important to get cars out of snow removal areas and for everyone to be careful using vehicles during major snow events. Being inside of a buried car, or starting a car buried in snow could have deadly consequences.”

In the area of Lake Tahoe, police are often contacted when a snowplow hits a vehicle. The car is likely towed at that point. Since it was snowing for a number of days, they were trying to plow the roads before the next storm hit.

A police lieutenant said that in 20 years of service, this was the first time he saw such a situation. We can only imagine what would have happened if the woman was not discovered because it was unlikely she could have dug out of the snow on her own. Considering the fact that there was another storm on the way, it could have ended very differently.

If you live where large snow piles can bury a car, you should pay close attention to your battery, tailpipe, and brakes. Exposure to the moisture and cold from snow can affect the safety and performance of your automobile. When the snow continues to fall, snowplows may end up trapping or damaging cars so be cautious where you park.