Rollover

Newton Abbott and Scranton pitch
in to extricate tractor-trailer driver

Mid-Town - November 13, 2000 --- Another Monday morning rude awakening came for Evans Center firefighters with a reported tractor-trailer rolled over on the New York State Thruway at 03:42 hours.

Chief Dennis Allen responded and asked for Evans Center Rescue 1 to respond while putting Mercy Flight on standby for a possible response.

This was the scene as Evans Center pulled up at the 448E on the Thruway.

The tractor straddled the ditch while the trailer blocked both eastbound lanes

According to the tractor-trailer driver, he swerved to avoid a deer and lost control of his rig. After skidding off the left shoulder of the road, the tractor trailer veered sharply and rolled over, spilling its load of boxed hams across the Thruway. He reported that he had just hit a deer last week.

The tractor landed driver's side down across the ditch.

The driver's legs were pinned around the steering column and he was laying twisted on his back. firefighters improvised and placed boxed hams in the ditch to create a bridge and then used pallets from the load to build a platform in the ditch from which to work.

Evans Center Firefighter/EMT Mike Kauzala and Asst. Chief Bruce Green Jr. worked their Hurst Hydraulic Cutters to remove the back of the driver's seat to gain better access.

Evans Center and Scranton firefighters strategize the extrication

The driver was still in the tractor with his legs pinned around the steering column

Outside the rig, Firefighter Geordie Sinclair and Capt. Tiger Schmittendorf used the cutters to peel back the door and cut the 'A' post and roof on the passenger side.

Chief Allen had contacted Hamburg Fire Control and requested additional help from Newton-Abbott Rescue 3 and Scranton Rescue 7 - both of which responded with a full compliment of tools, shoring and manpower.

Evans Center Rescue 4 was requested for additional shoring. Evans Center Rescue 7 and their ambulance

responded from Station #1 on Route 5 while Engine 2 came from their Station #2 on Gowans Rd. near the Thruway Service Area.

Newton-Abbott first used their low pressure and then their high-pressure air bags to support the tractor under the dash while a wrecker from Pinto's Collision was employed to stabilize the tractor from the undercarriage.

Evans Center Firefighter Pat Murphy holds a portable flood light as Newton- Abbott's Bill Taylor (L) works under the tractor

Firefighters from Evans Center, Newton- Abbott and Scranton worked side by side to free the victim

Newton-Abbott's Jay Mazurkiewicz set up a hydraulic strut to further support the tractor at the base of the 'A' post. Bill Taylor worked underneath the tractor, stacking and staging diminishing sized airbags to eventually lift the steering column away from the driver's legs.

The driver was now getting cold and shocky and was in extreme pain. Schmittendorf was lifted into the cab and placed his personal webbing under the driver's arms to hold him up as the operation ensued below them. A second piece of webbing was interlocked and supported from the outside of the tractor.

Once the steering column was pushed away, the webbing was used to help lift the victim out of the cab and on to the ground.

Full spinal immobilization procedures were applied and the patient was carried to a waiting Rural/Metro Paramedic Unit for transport to the Erie County Medical Center. Kauzala rode with the Metro rig and assisted with patient care to the trauma center.

Kauzala

Once the steering column was pushed away, the victim was lifted out of the cab and to the ground.

Crews remained on scene to support the salvage efforts and went into service around 6:30am. The accident closed the eastbound Thruway between Exit 58-Silver Creek and the Eden/Evans Center Exit 57a. Only one lane has reopened at this hour.

Special thanks go to Scranton Chief Mike Guadagna, Newton-Abbott Chief Randy Snyder, Past Chief Bill Taylor and their crews for all of their cooperation and technical assistance at the scene.

Evans Center's team of Chief Dennis Allen, Asst. Chief Bruce Green Jr., Captains Ken Hontz and Tiger Schmittendorf, and Firefighters Frank Forczek, Mike Hontz, Sarah Hull, Mike Kauzala, Charlie Klepfer, John Krieger, Pat Murphy, Geordie Sinclair and Bob Zamrok worked together to perform the difficult extrication.

The victim was

In addition to Scranton and Newton-Abbott, Evans Center was supported at the scene by Rural/Metro Paramedics, the New York State Police, Thruway Authority and DEC-Department of Environmental Conservation, Dave Pinto and Pinto's Collision, Angola Fire Control Dispatch, and Buffalo's NewsChannel 7 which provided media coverage at the scene and in news broadcasts throughout the day.

A true team effort between the three rescue companies worked to free the victim in an organized and safe manner for everyone involved.

All photos by Frank Forczek/EVANS CENTER

====================== 04/03/03 09:02 PM =====================

Reprint

Tractor-trailer rollover dumps hams onto Thruway

11/14/00

Dozens of hams were strewn across the Thruway Monday after a tractor-trailer rollover that left the eastbound Thruway closed for about 2¹/2 hours between Silver Creek and Angola.

The driver, an Ohio man hauling a trailer full of hams, lost control of his truck when he swerved to avoid a deer, ran off the shoulder, then overcompensated and tipped his trailer across both lanes of the eastbound Thruway at 3:37 a.m., state police said.

Emergency crews had to use a Jaws of Life apparatus to free Charles Jennings, 35, who remained trapped in the truck for about 45 minutes, Trooper Sean Walker said.

Jennings, who was taken to Erie County Medical Center with injuries described as nonlife-threatening, was ticketed for making an unsafe lane change and having a log book that was not up to date.

The eastbound Thruway between Silver Creek and Angola was reopened at about 6 a.m.

====================== 04/03/03 09:02 PM =====================

Firefighting is not for everyone � but volunteering can be. Evans Center offers limited duty memberships in the areas of Fire/Rescue only, Fire Police only, Emergency Medical Services Only, Water Rescue only, or Corporate only. Corporate members support the fire department through administrative, technology, fund-raising, clerical and other non-emergency business functions.

If you or anyone you know are interested in volunteering, please do not hesitate to contact the Evans Center Fire Company at 716/549-1221 or fill our our feedback form or e-mail to: info@ecvfc.org

The Evans Center Volunteer Fire Company
716/549-1221 - FAX/549-2290 - info@ecvfc.org
P.O. Box 193 - Headquarters: 8298 Erie Road - Town of Evans NY 14006
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