Taylor Viydo

KREM-TV, Spokane, Wash.

SPOKANE, Wash.— A man was forced to climb out of his car window when the road he was driving on was swept away by rushing water before dawn Thursday.

Richard Ledgerwood was driving to work along a highway in Adams County, Washington, when the road gave way, dropping him and his car 15 feet. The airbags in his SUV deployed and water came rushing in.

"Climbed out through the window on the driver's side, onto the roof," described Ledgerwood. "The roof was under water then."

He said it was pitch black when all this happened. Luckily, Ledgerwood had a flashlight on hand and he said it helped save his life.

“There was no seeing nothing. You're in the hole and it's dark."

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Once Ledgerwood got out of the mess, he was able to flag down an oncoming driver to warn of the danger. Ledgerwood only walked away with some minor soreness but his Chevy Blazer is a total loss. He said that is the least of his worries.

"God was my co-pilot. It's the way it is. If I was in another vehicle than what I was actually in - I don't believe I'd actually be here," Ledgerwood said.

By local estimates, that part of Adams County received over three-quarters of an inch of rain over the 24-hour period and neighboring Spokane County declared a state of emergency due to the road issues.

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