9/4/06 - 3 car rollover w/2 people trapped

Responded (finally with my whole crew - Engine and Rescue - 4 guys total ) on a three car rollover accident on the highway. Dispatched advised that there maybe up to five injured. When we got there we were advised by several witnesses already on scene that there were still two people trapped in one car but that all other patients were already out. One of the patients was a 25 yr old female that was 5 months pregnant. As I walked up to the scene, I saw all three vehicles down in the ditch, one on its side and the other two also down in ditch but surrounded by water up to the doors. Also that the pregnant female was lying in the weeds covered in blood. Myself and my partner got to her first and started treatment. She said that she was not really sure if she was ejected from her vehicle.

As the Engine crew checked the other vehicles they found that the driver and a rear seat passenger were still trapped in one of the vehicles (the one on its side). We knew that we would need more help so we called for another station to respond. As our Station #1 crew (Ladder #1 and Rescue #1) arrived with 4 more guys we proceeded to treat other patients and extricate (using the “Jaws of Life” to cut the vehicle apart) the trapped people out.

After everything was finished this is what it took : To rescue 5 people from 3 separate vehicles. Two of which needed to be cut out from the car. The cops were there to close the highway and control all the traffic - remember it was a holiday.

2 Engine Co‘s. - 4 guys

2 Rescue Co‘s. - 4 guys (included me)

2 Private Ambulance Co‘s. - 4 guys

8 Local Cops (from my city)

2 State Troopers

The good news is that we were able to save all patients - not one fatality on scene. The biggest thing was the baby and the 25 yr old female. We would not find out for a few days if she made it and if the baby would be ok. I know she was alive when she was put into the ambulance. As a Firefighter, sometimes you put people into an ambulance and it speeds away. Your left on scene staring into the back window or at the back of the truck and you never find out what happened to the people you rescue.

I waited to post this so I could write about the update on the female - I figured that whoever read this would like to know………..She made it and the baby would be ok.

The Trauma Center figures that if the female was wearing a seat belt it might have killed the baby due to the shock impact. But since she might have been thrown out it saved the baby. How the mother made it I’ll never know. I was the first one to her and she really didn’t seam all that bad - lots of cuts from the broken glass but nothing real serious.

I guess I can only say that this incident must be another “Divine Intervention” type of thing that will never be explained. If you have read my other blogs, you’ll know that this is the second time in less that one month that something like this “Divine Intervention” unexplained thing has happened to my crew and I. I guess its weird to think about but never in my 13 years in the fire service has a month’s time span been like this. I cant wait to read the accident investigation report (on Monday 9/11) to see how it happened..

Copes