07/21-2011 – MVC with multiple ejections & air evacuations – “C” Shift

Incident # 11-04005 – A high speed single vehicle MVC resulted in five males being injured Thursday morning 21-July at 07:25. Three received critical injuries. The accident occurred on Confederate Highway (SC Highway 641) approximately 1-1/2 miles east of Broxton Bridge Highway (US Hwy 601) in western Colleton County near the Bamberg County line. Firefighter-Paramedic TJ Brown was on his way to work at Station # 18, when he witnessed the oncoming Dodge Durango leave the roadway and crash, ejecting three occupants. Within seconds he arrived at the first unconscious patient lying in the roadway. Brown reported the accident over his radio, requesting two ambulances and a medical helicopter. Firefighter-EMT-I Jordan Eaddy, enroute to work at Station # 3 arrived minutes behind Brown. He began assisting with the injured as well. Several minutes later, Brown requested a third ambulance and two additional helicopters advising he had three critical patients. Engine 18 and Medic 18 arrived minutes later.

The entire highway was blocked due to the accident, causing early morning traffic to quickly backup in both directions on the two lane highway. The accident occurred when a west bound Dodge Durango was passing a tractor trailer. The small SUV experienced a rear tire blow out, causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle left the roadway, entered the ditch on the right hand shoulder, then struck a pine tree. The Durango over-turned, flipping end over end before coming to rest on its side facing east bound. The remaining passenger and the driver crawled out of the vehicle, both with minor injuries. All of the patients were Hispanic and did not speak English presenting some communications problems. All three ejected patients suffered multiple traumatic injuries. Two were unconscious with head injuries and one had airway problems. When Medic 18 arrived, the most severely injured man was placed in the ambulance, suctioned and prepped for intubation. Firefighter-Paramedics RSIed the man to protect his airway. The remaining critical patients were treated and placed in Medic  26. Medic 18 and Medic 26 transported the three critical patients to a large field approximately a mile from the scene to meet with the medical helicopters.

Capt. Feather in Car 118 established the LZ in the field near the intersection of Broxton Bridge Highway and Confederate Highway. Lifenet dispatched three helicopters to the LZ, all arriving within minutes of each other. Lifenet 1 responded from Columbia; Lifenet 3 from Orangeburg and Lifenet 6 from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) in Augusta. All patients were loaded in the helicopters without incident and flown to the Trauma Center at MCG in Augusta. The driver was transported to Colleton Medical Center in Walterboro by Medic 1. The remaining passenger received only minor injuries and denied transportation to the hospital. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

Engine 18, Medic 1, Medic 18, Medic 26, Battalion 1, Car 12, Car 117, Car 118 and Car 119 responded. Battalion Chief Marty Stallings served as Incident Commander. Captain Scott Feather coordinated the Landing Zone.