11/September/2020 – MVC with Entrapment and Fire – “B” Shift

Incident # 20-06253 – A three vehicle MVC on Green Pond Hwy (SC Hwy 303) at Possum Corner Rd sent four people to the hospital Friday evening 11-September. At 21:55, 9-1-1 received several reports of a head-on collision at the intersection. Callers reported one person was trapped in a pickup truck and a passenger car was on fire. Based on the information provided by callers, three additional Fire-Rescue ambulances were assigned to the incident. Fire-Rescue units arrived to find a Ford F-150 with heavy damage blocking the southbound lane and a Pontiac Torrent off of the southbound shoulder approximately ½ involved in fire. The Pontiac had been traveling south bound on Green Pond Hwy when it was struck head-on by the north bound Ford. A third pickup truck that was traveling north bound was reported to have struck some large debris in the road, but left the scene. A bystander was reported to have pulled the patients from the burning Pontiac. A 23 year old mother and her two young daughter, 3 and 4 months old, were in the car. All were wearing seatbelts and received non-life threatening injuries. The 56 yr. old male driver of the Ford was heavily entrapped in the pickup truck. He was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered multiple traumatic injuries. He was in critical condition. Firefighter-Paramedics treated the mother and children at the scene and transported them to Colleton Medical Center in Fire-Rescue Medic 26. A Firefighter-Paramedic was able to enter the cab of the truck and begin treating the man while other crewmembers stabilized the pickup truck and used Holmatro Rescue Tools to free the driver. Hydraulic spreaders and cutters were used to remove the driver’s door. The patients legs were pinned due to the floor being pushed up into the seat. The patient’s leg was impaled by the brake pedal. A hydraulic Ram was placed between the “A” post and the “B” post and used to spread the cab apart.

A variety of tools were used to free the man and the brake pedal was cut so he could be removed from the truck. No medical helicopters could fly due to poor weather conditions. The man was placed in Fire-Rescue Medic #19 and transported emergent to the Trauma Center at MUSC. Two additional Firefighter-Paramedics assisted with his care during transport. His condition deteriorated enroute to MUSC. Firefighter-Paramedics administered blood, IV fluids and medications to the man which resulted in improvement. Green Pond Highway was closed for three hours while the SC Highway Patrol investigated the accident. The Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic control.

Engine 1, Medic 1, Medic 6, Medic 19, Medic 26, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, Car 107, Car 112 and Car 118 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Incident Commander.