Missing woman found 10 hours after driving off the edge of Highway 41

A woman who went missing after driving off of Highway 41 near Oakhurst early Friday was found about 10 hours later, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Sgt. Rick Thoma said Vicki Cortez, 70, was on the highway about 5:30 a.m. when she lost control of her car and careened about 100 feet over the edge. Thoma said Cortez immediately contacted family members by cell phone.

But even with the phone giving a hint of her location, it took awhile for searchers to locate Cortez. Officers in a CHP airplane spotted the wreckage about 3:50 p.m.

Cortez had minor injuries such as scratches and bruises – which might’ve been suffered when Cortez tried to walk away from the crash, Thoma said.

She was checked at a hospital and then reunited with her family, Thoma said.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 11:25 PM with the headline "Missing woman found 10 hours after driving off the edge of Highway 41."