Car veers into paramedics working crash scene; firefighter seriously injured

[Floridastudent]

This was in today's Sentinel. Hope they're all right! $%^&#! careless drivers.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/os-orange-county-firefighter-injured-20100214,0,4728936.story

[spenac]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/os-orange-county-firefighter-injured-20100214,0,4728936.story

An Orange County firefighter and four other people were seriously injured Sunday when a car veered into an existing accident scene as emergency personnel were trying to treat an injured patient.

Orange County Fire Rescue said firefighters were dispatched to a crash that involved a motorcycle and another vehicle on State Road 50 near Deer Island Road shortly after 8 a.m.

As Orange County paramedics were preparing to transport the patient from the motorcycle crash, a car veered into the scene, striking and seriously injuring four people and a firefighter.

Six patients from the second crash were transported to local hospitals. An engineer paramedic, Chad Lowrey, and one other victim were airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center.

The fire department said its crews had placed their fire engine in the "fend-off position," which is meant to shield personnel and block at least one lane of traffic while emergency officials work the scene.

Edited February 15, 2010 by spenac

[HERBIE1]

This was in today's Sentinel. Hope they're all right! $%^&#! careless drivers.

http://www.orlandose...njured-20100214,0,4728936.story

Bad link, Lisa-

Edited February 15, 2010 by HERBIE1

[Floridastudent]

Bad link, Lisa-

I'm Dana, but anyway - not sure why the link didn't work - try this?

http://bit.ly/b39EiC

[Richard B the EMT]

Hmm? I just mentioned the death in June of 1994 of Christopher Prescott in a string on the California Surfing Contest, where numerous spectators were swept out by rouge waves.

The story has parallels to EMT Prescott.

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/18/nyregion/ems-aide-killed-by-car-at-accident.html?pagewanted=1

E.M.S. Aide Killed by Car At Accident

By RONALD SULLIVAN

Published: June 18, 1994

A 22-year-old ambulance crew member helping victims of a car accident in Brooklyn was killed early yesterday morning when a Jeep driven by a drunken driver plowed through a series of warning flares and crashed into the accident scene, the police said.

The police said the driver had been convicted of drunken driving in 1992, and had been charged with the crime once after that, but was still driving with a valid license at the time of the accident.

Victim Was Rookie of the Year

The victim, 24-year-old Christopher Prescott, who was named Rookie of the Year by the city's Emergency Medical Service earlier this year, was the city's first ambulance crew member to be killed in the line of duty, medical service officials said.

Mr. Prescott's death shocked the city's corps of 2,800 Emergency Medical Service technicians and paramedics, who are often the first to respond to the scenes of violent accidents and death, but are rarely victims themselves.

Mr. Prescott was killed when a Jeep driven by Keith Church-Ford, 27, sped into the intersection of Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue at 1:36 A.M. yesterday and smashed into one of two cars involved in an earlier accident. The force of the collision drove the car in the earlier accident into Mr. Prescott's ambulance, crushing him and a fellow crew member, Carol Buffa, 35, as they were trying to remove a victim in the first accident.

Mr. Prescott was pronounced dead less than three hours later at Kings County Hospital Center. Ms. Buffa underwent surgery there and was in critical condition, although officials said her condition was improving.

Injured Again

The victim in the first accident, whose initial injuries were described as not serious, was also crushed and was taken to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where he was in critical condition. The medical service said three other people suffered slight injuries.

"We're devastated," said David L. Diggs, the Emergency Medical Service director. "And we're angry, too, because this young man's senseless death would never have happened if we could get these kinds of drivers off the road."

The officials said Mr. Prescott would be given the equivalent of a police inspector's funeral on Monday, the first in the service's 24-year history. For the funeral, to take place on Staten Island, his body will be carried in an ambulance shrouded in black and will be followed by corps of medical service crew members, police officers and firefighters.

David Bookstaver, a spokesman, said of Mr. Prescott: "He had an outstanding record, one which included a citation for bringing an emergency patient back to life. He was full of youthful enthusiasm and he saw his career here as saving lives. We all are in mourning."

Mr. Prescott, a tall, friendly man from a close-knit Staten Island family filled with police officers, had hoped to join the Transit Police this year after serving a year or so as an ambulance crew member.

His sister, Police Officer Doreen Prescott-McGee, described her brother yesterday as a "wonderful, happy go lucky kid, someone who put a bright light around everone's head."

Mr. Church-Ford, who the police said was convicted of drunken driving in 1992, was arrested by police officers who were already at the accident scene. They said he was found to have a blood-alcohol level of 1.8 percent, nearly twice the legal limit.

He was charged with murder, assault and driving while intoxicated, and was processed for booking last night for a bail hearing in Criminal Court.

George Filieau, a spokesman for the State Division of Motor Vehicles, said Mr. Church-Ford's license was revoked in November 1992, after he was convicted of drunken driving a month earlier. But he said Mr. Church-Ford received a restricted, conditional license a month later and that his license was fully restored in March 1993, after he completed a remedial program.

The police said he was later charged with driving while intoxicated and several other moving violations, like running red lights and passing on the wrong side. But they said they had no information as to the outcome of those cases, or details on when they occurred.

On the stoop of her home at 500 Warren Street in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, Mr. Church-Ford's mother said: "It's a tragedy for both our families. My son is a good kid."

Mr. Church-Ford is the third person in the city in the last six weeks to be charged with a drunken driving fatality. On May 1, a woman and her two daughters were killed in Howard Beach, Queens, while crossing the street, and on June 11 a homeless woman in Queens was killed after pushing her 4-year-old son to safety. The police said that the drivers in both cases had been drunk.

[joesph]

another example of the need for proper apparatus placement. Put a large chuck of steel in a angle of deflection between you and oncoming traffic. When the cops complain that your taking up to much space give them a stop sign tell them the can take the spot.

[46Young]

When I worked NYC EMS we rarely had any apparatus to block the scene, unless it was a cut job. I've almost been killed on several occasions.

The way we do it is to position the ambulance IFO the scene, by the shoulder if possible. The engine takes two lanes, angling towards the scene so that the rear of the vehicle sticks out into traffic. If hit, the apparatus will rotate away from the scene. If we get more pieces onscene, we'll take another lane.

Remember, at night, red is the first color to go.

[Floridastudent]

So what can the individual paramedic/emt do to protect themselves in a situation like that?

[Richard B the EMT]

From experience, all I can say is, the 30 minute highway flare, at least in NYC, has a life expectancy of 7.2 minutes, before someone runs it over, either by design or in error (usually by design, unfortunately).

[46Young]

So what can the individual paramedic/emt do to protect themselves in a situation like that?

Without a suppression piece to block the scene, you're taking your life into your own hands. For one, take a second lane with flares. The most important rule to follow is to never turn your back on traffic. If you need to go back to the ambulance, walk backwards, and wave your light back and forth to draw attention to yourself. Having PD onscene helps, as their blue lights are highly visible at night.

One thing's for certain, each motorist sincerely believes that they're the most important, the center of the universe so to speak. They'll squeeze through any space that you leave them to get through the scene.

As far as getting off of the road quickly, it wouldn't be a bad idea to place the pt on a board, maintain manual C-spine, get the pt in the back of the bus, keep C-spine while your partner pulls the rig to a safer location, and then the two of you can finish the spinal motion restriction properly and safely.

In the winter, when it's below freezing, we routinely hold C-spine on the cot/LSB and finish in the back of the bus, so our pts don't freeze.

From experience, all I can say is, the 30 minute highway flare, at least in NYC, has a life expectancy of 7.2 minutes, before someone runs it over, either by design or in error (usually by design, unfortunately).

I've almost been murdered several times on the Jackie, the ever popular GCP/CIP, LIE/GCP, and the dead man's curve on the GCP EB just past LaGuardia (111 st? I forget).