Rider to stay hospitalized for weeks, surgeon says

The Maple Valley woman who survived more than a week trapped in her car without food or water faces weeks of hospitalization before returning home, a trauma surgeon said Tuesday.

Dr. Joseph Cuschieri said Tanya Rider has recovered from kidney dysfunction caused by severe dehydration during her ordeal. But he said that the 33-year-old woman needs several more surgeries for her left leg, which was injured in the Sept. 20 crash.

Rider, who was found Thursday strapped upside down in her crumpled SUV in a Renton ravine, is struggling with psychological problems caused by the crash, Cuschieri said during a news conference at Harborview Medical Center.

"She is still pretty exhausted. She's starting to recall what happened to her," Cuschieri said.

Rider was listed in satisfactory condition Tuesday at Harborview. Her condition fluctuated on Monday because of surgery on her leg.

Rider was last seen on the morning of Sept. 20 when she finished her shift at a Bellevue Fred Meyer store. Her husband reported her missing two days later, but a search wasn't launched until later in the week because a misunderstanding over activity on her bank account prompted detectives to believe she wasn't in distress.

In addition, it took detectives several days to receive permission from Rider's cellphone-service provider to gain access to phone records that ultimately led them to her location.

On Tuesday, Tom Rider said he planned to go to Olympia to deliver a letter to Gov. Christine Gregoire to explain why cellphone-privacy policies almost cost his wife her life. Though the King County Sheriff's Office requested Rider's cellphone records through Verizon on Sept. 24, it wasn't until three days later — after a warrant was obtained — that the information was released.

He wants Gregoire to require cellphone companies give customers the choice of releasing their records to police without a search warrant, in the case of an emergency.

During Tuesday's news conference, Tom Rider said his wife is "fragile" and has struggled with depression much of her life. He said she doesn't recall the crash.

Rider has been critical of the Sheriff's Office's response to his wife's disappearance, saying it took days before they took him seriously. On Tuesday, after several conversations with Sheriff Sue Rahr, he downplayed his anger and said they are working together.

"I don't want to fight the sheriff," he said. "I just want to move forward."

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com