By RICHARD D. OXLEY
Staff Writer

KINGSTON — Two young women were rescued from their SUV on Tuesday after the vehicle rolled down a steep embankment and became wedged against a tree near Miller Bay Road.

North Kitsap Fire and Rescue were dispatched at 3 p.m. to the intersection of Miller Bay and West Kingston roads. It took crews roughly 3 minutes to reach the site as it was just down the road from the fire station.

Rescue workers found the SUV approximately 20 feet down the embankment, on its roof with one side wedged against a large cedar tree, according to Michele Laboda with North Kitsap Fire & Rescue.

The SUV rolled multiple times before coming to rest, trapping the two young women — ages 19 and 24 — inside.

Crews used hydraulic tools to gain access to the women. At least one of the women was removed from the vehicle on a gurney. Crews used ropes and pulleys to pull the women up the embankment and onto the road.

Both women appeared to have minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for further care. Labota said both passengers were wearing their seat belts when the crash occurred and were alert when talking with firefighters.

Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputies directed traffic at the intersection, which was converted into one alternating lane for approximately one hour.

The sheriff’s department will conduct an investigation into the cause of the crash, however, initial reports indicate that the SUV was turning off of West Kingston Road heading south on Miller Bay Road just before it went off the road and rolled down the embankment.

The SUV currently remains down the embankment. Deputies are expected to organize a tow truck to retrieve it.