Greetings Everyone,
Well, I don't post much, but I was encouraged to do so at the DR. Here is my story about being on the road with a touch of road rage and responding to a real life first aid event.
Sometimes you just rush into an event not knowing what to expect and hoping your training takes over.
Incident Narrative
On October 14, 2015 at approximate 0700, TACMEDIC was traveling eastbound on the 210 freeway near the city of Fontana, California when he observed a vehicle completing a spin in the middle of the freeway coming to a stop facing the wrong way. TACMEDIC was traveling with a trauma kit in his vehicle. TACMEDIC pulled his vehicle to a safe location on the side of the freeway after he observed another vehicle on its side up 25+ feet up the side of the embankment.
TACMEDIC exited his vehicle with his trauma kit and went up the hill and climbed over the fence that was knocked down and observed a full-size pickup on the passenger side door with damage on all sides of the vehicle from what appeared to be consistent with a roll-over.
TACMEDIC then conducted a ‘scene size-up’ and observed the vehicle to be stable as it was wedged up against a parked vehicle in the parking lot of a car dealership. TACMEDIC did not observe any fuel leaks or smoke/fire.
TACMEDIC approached the pickup and observed the front windshield was shattered and observed the driver/patient inside, suspended by his seat belt. TACMEDIC determined that additional resources were needed. TACMEDIC then directed a bystander, to call the fire department and paramedics and have them respond to the car dealership, not the freeway. TACMEDIC then asked another bystander to hold the driver’s door open as TACMEDIC put on his latex gloves (BSI protocols) and then climbed on top of the vehicle to assess the situation.
TACMEDIC then conducted an ‘initial assessment’ and recognized that the mechanism of injury was consistent with the protocols for spinal immobilization. TACMEDIC observed that the patient was a large man (approx. 275 lbs.) and was suspended with his feet 4 or 5 inches from touching the ground and his entire body weight was pressed against his chest by the seat belt. TACMEDIC observed that the patient had limited chest movement and the patient in a faint/broken voice asked for help and stated that he could not breathe. TACMEDIC further observed the patient was pale and had an expression that was consistent with panic.
TACMEDIC believed that the patient was experiencing positional asphyxiation that needed immediate action prior to spinal immobilization. TACMEDIC then positioned himself half-way into the vehicle and supported the patient with his legs from falling forward and supported his upper body while he cut the seatbelt with medical scissors and controlled the patient’s dissent to allow his feet to touch the ground. TACMEDIC then climbed inside the vehicle and provided a two hand spinal immobilization to each side of the patient’s head/shoulder area. TACMEDIC observed patient’s face change color from a white hue to a pink/red hue with some bruising developing. The patient then repeatedly stated. “Thank you, thank you” with good rise and fall of his chest.
TACMEDIC then continued the assessment with basic questions regarding his name, age, where he was, and day of the week. The patient was oriented and complained of neck and back pain and stated he may have lost a tooth. TACMEDIC observed a small amount of blood on his left gloved hand from an abrasion on the patient’s head. TACMEDIC did not observe any other visible injuries from his position and he continuously monitored the patient’s breathing.
Approximately 10 minutes later, a San Bernardino County Fire/ Rescue truck and a Paramedic unit responded. TACMEDIC then relayed patient information and transferred patient care to the paramedic and then the fire department extricated the patient after cutting the roof of the truck off. TACMEDIC was then thanked for his assistance and his name and/or information was not needed. TACMEDIC then departed the area and observed CHP units and Fontana Police Department documenting the accident scene.
Local News Report:
FONTANA >> A driver is recovering after suffered major injuries in a crash on the eastbound 210 Freeway near Sierra Avenue that launched a truck off the freeway and into a dealership on Wednesday morning, California Highway Patrol officials said.
• Video: Truck launched into Fontana car dealership
“In my opinion, it was a road-rage incident,” said Brian Kwong who captured the crash on his dashcam. “I heard some honking after the Mustang cut the truck off and the truck wasn’t too happy about it. That led to the truck trying to speed pass the other car. I was a little scared because they almost hit me.”
The crash, first reported around 7 a.m., involved two vehicles, according to the CHP incident log.
• Video: Dashcam video from Mustang involved in crash
The video shows the truck go out of control, strike the Mustang and then the truck goes off the freeway and up and over the embankment into the Rock Honda car dealership, striking vehicles on the lot.
The truck went up the embankment, through a fence, hit a parked car and came to rest on its side, said San Bernardino County firefighter Chris Prater.
It took rescuers 20 minutes to cut the man who is in his 50s, out of the crumpled truck.
He suffered moderate to critical injuries, said Prater, and was taken to a nearby trauma center.
Family members of the unidentified driver said he was “banged up” but would recover.
The driver -- who asked not to be identified -- of the Mustang also had a dashcam rolling when the crash took place. That video shows that prior to the crash it appears both vehicles tried to merge into the same lane.
CHP officials are investigating the incident.
