06/October/2014 – Fatal MVC with entrapment & Air Evac – “A” shift

Incident # 14-05888 – A 62 year old Colleton County man passed away at the MUSC Trauma Center following a motor vehicle accident on Robertson Blvd at Howe Ct. The accident was reported at 14:32 Monday afternoon 06-October. A caller notified 9-1-1 that a vehicle had left the roadway and was stuck in a culvert pipe. Firefighter-Paramedics arrived to find the Nissan pickup truck in a concrete draining pipe under Howe Court. The rear bed of the truck was the only visible portion and a boat was dislodged from the trailer sitting on the bed of the truck. The vehicle was still running with smoke coming from inside the pipe. The roof was peeled back to the truck bed. The patient was not visible or accessible from outside of the pipe.

Crews deployed one 1-3/4 handline, then used chains and a winch to pull the pickup truck from the pipe. They were able to push the roof off of the patient to gain access to him. Other crew members used Holmatro Rescue Tools to cut the roof and free the man. He was unconscious and suffered critical multiple traumatic injuries. A medical helicopter was placed on standby, as the man was immobilized and extricated from the vehicle. He was rapidly transported to the helipad at Colleton Medical Center to meet with LifeNet 4.

The patient was RSIed prior to being flown to the Trauma Center at MUSC. The Coroner’s Office was notified early Tuesday morning that the man had passed away. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.

Engine 1, Engine 26, Rescue 1, Medic 1, Car 12, Car 107, Car 110, Car 111, Car 116 and Car 117 responded. Battalion Chief Dan Barb served as Incident Commander.