CFD was requested by HCRS for mutual aid assistance on a confirmed accident with entrapment at Logan Hill. R-1 responded and arrived without incident to find a single SUV off the roadway head-on into a tree. The vehicle was upright and appeared to be very unstable due to its position on the steep roadside.
HCRS and EMS were on scene PTA. The lead paramedic advised they had one critical patient heavily pinned by the dash and his lower extremities VUMC Lifeflight was enroute. A second non-critical patient had already been packaged for transport to HCH ER. R-1 Captain Johnson established command and the crew began assisting HCRS with extrication.
Short and medium rams
The patient had been partially ejected. There was several feet of intrusion into the driver’s side passenger compartment. R-1 crew stabilized the vehicle using a trucker’s hitch and Rescue Jacks. PTA HCRS had forced the driver’s door.
CFD crews gained access to the interior and utilized Amkus, short and medium rams along with 32" spreaders to gain access to the patient’s foot and free it from heavy entanglement. VUMC LF was brought to the scene to assist with patient care due to extended extrication time. Two 1.75" handlines were charged and staffed due to a significant fuel leak.
Spreader
Scene lighting was established. R-1 crew also utilized a second Amkus 32" spreader to make more room to remove the patient at the driver’s door area. R-1 crew utilized sawzall to cut the patient’s foot free of the floor pan. The patient was removed via LSB and rapidly transported via EMS to an awaiting aircraft at Centerville airport.
The patient was airlifted to Vanderbilt Trauma Center. Command was terminated and all units returned to service after a short debrief. The total extrication time was 1 hour 10 minutes.