Reports of minor accident turns into a challenging rescue

June 29, 2004

Submitted by STEPHEN BARRETT

 

On June 29, 2004 after 14:00 hours Camphill and West Shore Fire Departments were dispatched to 32nd St. and Harver St. for an accident with possible injuries.   Camphill and Lower Allen ambulance companies along with the West Shore EMS ALS unit responded has the primary EMS units.

Ambulance 14 found a two-vehicle accident involving a delivery van and a mini-van containing one adult and two children.  The van t-boned the mini-van on the driver’s door trapping the driver in side.  Ambulance 14 then requested a second ALS unit and second rescue company.  West Shore ALS then sent Medic 85 along with Hampden Twp. Fire Dept.’s Heavy Rescue 30.

Medic 81 and Ambulance 2-74 had trouble reaching the scene due to the backlog of stopped of vehicle on Route 15.  Ambulance 14 with Medic 81 attended to the trapped female in the mini-van.  Ambulance 2-74 and Medic 85 then attended to the children who were removed from the mini-van by bystanders.

Rescue 14 and Squad 13 made their way to the scene and started the rescue operations.  The delivery van was backed away and the mini-van was stabilized.  Rescue 14 deployed all their rescue tools and started the extrication.  Squad 13 pulled and charged a stand by hose line with their rescue tools.  Rescue 30’s crew arrived and supported the other two rescue teams who were removing the driver’s door.  Engine 14 staged off the roadway and sent its crew to the accident scene to assist.

The driver’s door was removed from the A and B post and the driver was extricated onto a long board.  The extrication lasted over twenty-minutes and required over 30 personnel.

The driver was then transported to Hershey Medical Center as a trauma patient along with her children.  The driver of the delivery van was seen leaving the scene in handcuffs with the local police.

The first reports of this incident was reported has a minor accident but was later found as an entrapment rescue.  You should always treat all incidents as something serious until responding EMS units can do a proper size up.