Story information from Chief Dennis Williams
Photo by Nash County Fire Photographer Bob Bartosz
Shortly after 14:11 on July 20, 2014, Nash County (NC) 911 center was receiving calls for a multiple-car accident on I-95 near exit 145 north at the same time Halifax County was also receiving calls for the same accident. Nash County dispatched Station 3 (Stony Creek Fire-Rescue), Nash County EMS 9, and Station 12 (Red Oak Fire Department) were dispatched. The initial report was about eight vehicles involved in a motor vehicle accident with unknown personal injuries and at least one person pinned. Stony Creek responded with their large rescue truck and one Intermediate level Ambulance. Red Oak responded with two engines and their squad truck, along with Nash County EMS 9. Nash Central Communications advised that Halifax County EMS had two responding ambulances for mutual aid. Battleboro Fire Department Station 9 was dispatched for a landing zone and to check out two other minor accidents on I-95 in back of the major one. There were no injuries.
Red Oak Fire Chief Bob Brown arrived on scene about 14:19 and established I-95 Command. Chief Brown notified all responding units that he had one that was confirmed pinned. Stony Creek Rescue Chief Dennis Williams arrived on scene at 14:21 and established rescue command. Red Oaks first-arriving engine and Stony Creek Rescue 3R arrived about 14:24. Red Oak pulled a support attack hose line and Rescue R3 started extrication with their large spreaders. The patient was pinned in the passenger’s front seat, with the door crushed in on the passenger, along with the front dash completely crushed in on both legs and hips. After they popped the door away from the door pin and cut the door hinges and used their spreaders to completely remove the front door from the vehicle, Stony Creek then used their short ram to push the dash off the patient.
While we were pushing the dash, two firefighters from Red Oak Fire Department used their combi tool to remove the rear passenger door. After the short ram was extended, it still did not make enough room to remove the patients legs, so the medium ram was brought in and with its extended range they were able to fully displace the dash so that the patients legs and hips were freed. With the back door being removed, they were able to place the backboard inside and under the patient and slide her up on it and removed her safely from the vehicle. The Vidant Medical Center Helicopter was on scene before we extricated the patient so when the patient was removed she was placed on their transport stretcher and placed in their care and flown to Vidant Health Care Center in Greenville, North Carolina. The patient was extricated at 14:47.The other injured were transported by EMS to the local hospital.
Stony Creek Rescue responded with two units and nine volunteers. Red Oak responded with 12 firefighters and Battleboro with 10 firefighters. There were six vehicles involved in this accident. North Carolina Highway Patrol shut down the northbound lane throughout the extrication and during the accident investigation.
See more photos from the scene by Bob Bartosz HERE.
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