Thompson, CT – Firefighters worked for nearly 2 hours to remove one of two occupants from a car after they struck a tree Sunday evening. The second occupant was already out of the vehicle when crews arrived on the scene.
At approximately 9:08 p.m. on Sunday, May 26th, 2024, the Community Fire Company was dispatched to Buckley Hill Rd, between Pompeo Rd and Rawson Ave, for a reported car vs tree motor vehicle accident.
The first fire officer arrived 3 minutes after dispatch and reported 1 person outside of the vehicle with another person heavily entrapped inside with serious injuries. The person found outside the vehicle was rapidly transported at the Advanced Life Support (ALS) level to UMass (Worcester, MA) by Putnam EMS and a KB Ambulance Paramedic. A Dudley Fire Department ambulance was called to the scene, being the closest resource available at the time, for the second patient and a medical helicopter was requested to Riverside Park.
While en route to the landing zone, Life Flight encountered aviation weather concerns that forced them to abort the mission and return to base. Still needing the higher level of care Life Flight crews provide, the decision was made for the crew to respond via their ground ambulance.
When the vehicle struck the tree the passenger, was displaced over the center console and ended up on top of the driver’s seat and pinned against the tree. To get them out, firefighters had to remove the roof from the vehicle and perform a front-end displacement. To perform this front end displacement, crews made cuts to the lower portion of the A pillar (front verticle beam) on both sides allowing the whole front end to become a hinge. They then utilized winches, connected to the hood where it meets the windshield and a front wheel, from the Webster and Community heavy rescues to roll the front end up and away from the victim.
While the firefighters cut away the vehicle, EMT/Paramidic teams from KB Ambulance and Dudley Fire were busy providing patient care. These medical providers performed their tasks around the firefighters as they worked, even perching on the cut, and stabilized, car to never stop caring for the patient. Once the Life Flight crew arrived at the scene they immediately assisted with patient care bringing numerous resources with them which aren’t available to first responders in the region.
Almost 2 hours (1:50) after extrication began, crews were able to remove the occupant from the vehicle and transfer them to the waiting Life Flight ambulance where they were transported via ground ambulance to UMass.
The status of both victims is unclear at the time of this article.
During the incident an additional Heavy Rescue was requested from Webster Fire and additional manpower was brought in from the Quinebaug Volunteer Fire Department after the Landing Zone was no longer needed. The Killingly Rehab Team also responded to the scene to assist firefighters as they operated on the long duration incident.
The accident is under investigation by the Connecticut State Police Troop D.
Agencies that responded included Community Fire Company, Quinebaug Volunteer Fire Department, Webster Fire Department, Dudley Fire Department EMS, KB Ambulance’s QV Medic, Putnam EMS, Umass Memorial Lifeflight, Killingly Rehab Team, Connecticut State Police Troop D
I thought the information presented inthis article to be well done. It helped us to see and experience the goings on in such a critical accident. The many pictures also help us to see the emotions in the faces and eyes of the first responders. It mde me feel their anguish in trying to extract the victim . Well done! to all who worked so dillegently in caring for fellow man. And for the reporter, I look forward to reviewing more from you.
This article was an example of great journalism. The photography told the story as well. Great job to all responders. We hope the people involved in the accident recover.
[…] At approximately 9:08 p.m. on Sunday, May 26th, 2024, the Community Fire Company was dispatched to Buckley Hill Rd, between Pompeo Rd and Rawson Ave, for a reported car vs tree motor vehicle accident. The operator was discovered outside the vehicle and transported to UMass (Worcester, MA) with life-threatening injuries. The passenger was trapped in the vehicle for approximately 2 hours as crews from 3 fire departments and 4 EMS agencies, including Life Flight, treated her injuries. She was ultimately extricated and transported by a UMass Memorial Life Flight ground ambulance to UMass with life-threatening injuries, which would change her life forever. Read our original article on the collision here. […]