Woman injured after jumping out of moving patrol vehicle on I-5 near Ridgefield

A woman was seriously injured Monday afternoon when she reportedly jumped out of a moving Clark County deputy’s patrol vehicle 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 unfastened her seat belt and climbed out the rear passenger’s side window of the vehicle, which was traveling at freeway speed, 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.

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

Reporter Jerzy Shedlock contributed to this report.