07/03/2011 – MVC with Entrapment & Air Evacuation (A-shift)

Incident # 11-03656 – A single vehicle MVC resulted in multiple traumatic injuries for an Islandton woman Sunday morning 3-July at 08:23. Firefighters were called to the 3400 block of Cross Swamp Road near Islandton after the vehicle left the roadway and struck a driveway culvert. The small pickup truck became airborne before landing on its side in the ditch. The female driver was trapped in the wreckage when her left arm became lodged under the truck between the vehicle and ditch. It is unknown how long she had been in the ditch before being found. A nearby resident heard the woman blowing the horn on the vehicle and found the accident when he went to investigate. Firefighters from Station 15 and 18 arrived a short time later. Crews stabilized the pickup truck to prevent it from moving, then used Holmatro Hydraulic Rescue Tools to remove the roof. The steering wheel was then removed before the crewmembers used Holmatro high pressure air bags to lift the vehicle enough to free her arm. Once she was extricated, the patient was treated at the scene in Medic 18, then flown from a nearby field by Lifenet 3 to the Trauma Center at MUSC. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

Engine 15, Medic 18, Rescue 18, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Captain Matthew Owen Williams, Jr served as Incident Commander. Firefighter Jared Polk served as LZ Coordinator.