| On Sunday, August 1, 2010 at 7:42 PM, the Purchase Fire Department was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident with injuries on Interstate 287 westbound in the area of Exit 9N-S. While Engine 240 and Rescue 30 were responding, a second accident with possible extrication was reported at the intersection of Westchester Avenue westbound and Kenilworth Road. Car 2412 advised units to respond to the second location after determining that the accidents were one in the same.
Upon their arrival, units confirmed a two-car head-on collision with one person trapped. Crews from the Engine and Rescue began stabilization efforts and performed an assessment of the damage. Car 2412 established the Westchester Avenue Command.
After removing the driver side door, members determined that the front tire had penetrated the passenger compartment, pinning the patient's lower left leg between her seat and the floor. Harrison EMS personnel were inside the vehicle providing patient care while fire units utilized four hydraulic tools in a coordinated effort to free her.
A dashboard displacement was executed to create more operating space, allowing members to delicately spread apart the metal that pinned the patient's leg. Once freed from the vehicle, fire and EMS crews packaged and loaded the patient into the ambulance. A total of five patients were transported by three EMS agencies to Westchester Medical Center and White Plains Hospital.
Car 2412 placed the situation under control at 8:23 PM and released Engine 240 from the scene. Harrison Police requested the fire department remain on scene through the duration of the accident investigation for lighting and personnel. Car 2412, Rescue 30, and Utility 10 were cleared at 11:03 PM. |
