Woman sues GM after spending six days trapped in 'defective' vehicle after accident

Kristin Hopkins had to have both legs amputated following the incident in Colorado

(AP)

A Colorado woman who was trapped inside her car for six days after losing control and rolling 300 feet down a mountainside is suing General Motors.

Kristin Hopkins, 45, who had both of her lower legs amputated following the April 2014 crash, claims her 2009 Chevy Malibu's safety features failed,

Reuters said that according to court documents filed on Wednesday, Ms Hopkins has alleged that the car maker knew in advance of the accident that the vehicle’s “crash avoidance” system was defective.

“Given these unavoidable driving conditions, and with guardrails rarely present, Colorado drivers must rely on these paramount crash avoidance features for their very survival,” said the lawsuit filed Denver said.

Kristin Hopkins had to have both legs amputated following the incident in Colorado

In a statement, GM said the company was “learning details of this tragic accident.”

“We will investigate this matter and work to understand what happened and why,” it said.

Police said Ms Hopkins lost control of her car on a curve near Red Hill Pass, about 65 miles from Denver, and the vehicle rolled several times down a steep embankment before coming to rest upside down in a grove of Aspen trees.

Bleeding and suffering from multiple injuries, the single mother of four spent six days inside the overturned vehicle in freezing temperatures, scrawling distress messages on an umbrella that she deployed outside the wrecked car.

A group of passing motorists ultimately spotted the crash site and reported to authorities that they had found a body inside the car.

When rescuers arrived on scene, they found Ms Hopkins alive, suffering from multiple injuries and hypothermia.

She underwent numerous surgeries and medical procedures but doctors could not save her legs, which were amputated below the knees.