Vehicle vs. Tree on St Charles Parkway
with 2 Subjects Trapped

July 5, 2004 0155 hrs:

Units were dispatched for a reported motor vehicle in the area of St Charles Parkway and St Ignatius Drive. While enroute, Communications advised they were receiving calls reporting the collision somewhere between St Ignatius and Smallwood Dr and reports of a tree on top of the vehicle. Just as Rescue Squad 3 was pulling up on the scene, Communications upgraded the assignment to a subjects trapped response, adding an additional hurst tool and a medic unit to the call. Rescue Squad 3 found a single vehicle off the road with a tree overtop of the roof. The vehicle was straddling over a large ditch & 2 subjects were trapped inside with one unresponsive. Firefighters quickly worked to stabilize the vehicle with cribbing and the newly purchased Rescue 42 stabilization struts. A chain saw was utilized to cut the tree off the top of the car so access could be made to begin extricating the victims. The Maverick tool was used to pop the passenger side door to gain access to the unresponsive victim. While firefighters began the process of extricating the driver, the front seat passenger, who had regained consciousness and was now combative, was removed from the remains of the vehicle. The process to remove the driver was extensive due to the amount of damage the vehicle sustained from the impact with the trees. Firefighters used the full range of extrication equipment carried on the Squad, including the Maverick, X-tractor, 30" Rams, & a Saw-Zall. The driver door was removed, as well as the entire roof, & finally the dash had to be rolled forward to free the pinned legs. The driver was removed from the vehicle on a backboard and handed over to waiting EMS personnel. Engine 121 initially responded to the scene but was diverted to setup a landing site at Smallwood Soccer Field for the helicopter. Unfortunately, weather conditions were too bad and MSP Trooper 2 aborted the mission. Ambulance 38, along with Medic 1, ground transported the driver to PG Trauma Center. The passenger was taken to Civista Medical Center by Ambulance 37 and reportedly signed out of the hospital against medical advice before being treated. Units cleared the scene in just under an hour and returned to quarters.

Waldorf Responding Units: Rescue Squad 3, Engine 32, Engine 121, Ambulance 38, Ambulance 37, Ambulance 129, Chief 3B, & Chief 3.

Mutual Aid Units: Hughesville Ambulance 28, Charles County Rescue Squad Ambulance 519, Indian Head Paramedic Ambulance 98 (responded from Civista Medical Center), Medic One, & MSP Trooper 2.