Driver who survived being trapped in car for days going home for Christmas

Tanya Rider survived being trapped in her car for more than a week. She wasn't about to let doctors tell her that she wasn't going home for Christmas.

On Thursday, her husband Tom Rider received the news he was hoping to hear — his wife of nine years will be released in time to celebrate Christmas at home.

"She's happy," Tom Rider said. "She survived eight days in the car without food or water. If anybody has a little fight in them, she does."

Tanya Rider, 33, made international headlines in September after she was found strapped upside down in a crumpled SUV in a Renton ravine. Her husband had reported her missing several days earlier, setting off a search that didn't find her until eight days after she was last seen leaving work.

Though she suffered a leg injury and was severely dehydrated, Rider's health gradually improved while at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

After her ability to walk significantly improved last week, Rider announced to her doctors that she planned to return to her Maple Valley home and celebrate Christmas, Tom Rider said. Doctors doubted she would master maneuvering with a cane and warned not to get her hopes up, Tom Rider added.

A hospital spokeswoman said Thursday night that it wasn't clear whether Rider will leave the hospital today or over the weekend.

Tanya Rider is continuing to decline interviews. Since the crash she has received get-well cards from Europe and Australia as well as across the United States and Canada, her husband said.

"Everyone that did pitch in to help, we really appreciate it," Tom Rider said. "She never thought anyone besides me cared she was alive. Now she knows there are other people out there who care."

Tom Rider said that returning home will likely help his wife's spirits.

"They [doctors] said that no one likes being in the hospital, but even if you're home for a little while, it helps you immensely psychologically," he said.

Rider disappeared Sept. 20 after 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 of a misunderstanding over whether she was using her bank account.

Tom Rider has been critical of mobile-phone policies, which delayed detectives' access to phone records that ultimately led them to his wife's location. It took a warrant and investigators several days to get permission from Rider's cellphone-service provider for her information. She was found a short time later.

Tom Rider said his wife doesn't recall the crash, but she does remember trying to escape from her vehicle.

"She thought she could hear traffic going by. She couldn't scream out," he said.

King County Sheriff Sue Rahr has supported Tom Rider's push for a change to make it easier for law enforcement to obtain cellphone records.

"The sheriff has testified in Olympia about the problems with accessing cellphone records and has met with all of the major cellphone providers and is confident they can work out an agreement that would make it easier for police to access cellphone records in emergencies," said sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart.

Tom Rider said they don't have any Christmas plans, other than staying home and possibly attending church if his wife feels up to it. He jokes that his wife isn't a big fan of his cooking, so he will pick up some takeout on Christmas Day.

Tom Rider said medical bills have gobbled up much of his salary, leaving him unable to buy Christmas gifts. But, he adds, it's no big deal.

"I'm stoked. I got the best present: my wife."

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