Cars Collide Head-on

Town of Evans NY – MidTown – June 18, 2004 --- Two cars collided head-on in dense fog on Rte. 20 (Southwestern Boulevard) between Versailles Plank Road and Eden-Evans Center Road shortly after midnight last night.

Angola Fire Control Dispatcher Amy Hamm received a forwarded 911 call from a cellular caller reporting an accident with as many as 5-6 people trapped. She dispatched the Evans Center Fire Company at 12:22am.

Evans Center Asst. Chief Tiger Schmittendorf arrived first and established operations, followed by Asst. Chief Tim Szczepaniak and Chief Bruce Green Jr. Even with all of the flashing lights, responding units could barely see the accident scene through the dense fog upon approach and the risk of a secondary accident loomed ahead.

Green established a command post on the westbound shoulder of the two-lane highway approximately 50 feet back from the accident scene. Schmittendorf conducted a quick scene survey, identifying four (4) victims immediate to the accident. The two vehicles were positioned side-by-side approximately 4 ft. apart, and both sideways in the road facing the westbound shoulder.

One (1) male victim was found laying on the pavement outside of Vehicle#1, located to the west. His female passenger was still in the vehicle. Both were conscious and breathing.

The driver of Vehicle#2, located to the east, was pinned between his seat and the steering wheel. The front tire was impacted into the driver's compartment and the door structure was folded in on him. He was conscious and speaking with rescuers.

His female passenger was already being removed on to a full spine immobilization board by Rural Metro Paramedics with assistance from bystanders. She reportedly was sitting in the back seat on the passenger side of the two-door vehicle at the time of the accident, as the front passenger seat had previously been removed. She was unconscious and in critical condition.

Chief Green requested additional ambulances from Angola, Highland, Lake Erie Beach, Lake View and the Eden Emergency Squad. Rural Metro dispatched two additional paramedic units. The bordering North Evans Fire Company brought their medium rescue and set up lighting and support equipment.

Evans Center's ambulance arrived and their crew of EMTs Jason Hontz and Becky Smith were assigned to the patients in and outside of Vehicle#1. Mutual aid ambulance crews assisted with treating and packaging both patients.

Evans Center Engine 1 - a combination engine/rescue, called on location and their crew of Sr. Lt. Pat Murphy, Lt. Mike Relosky, and Firefighters Dennis Allen, Kevin Snyder and Scott Wheeler along with Angola Firefighter Ron Friend went about assessing Vehicle#2. After surveying the scene, they used cribbing to stabilize the vehicle and powered up their Hurst Hydraulic Jaws-of-Life to pry open the driver's door.

They first made a 'purchase' point at the top front of the door below the 'A' post, and opened the spreaders to create some working area. They made subsequent spreads down the door until it popped completely off the front hinges. They then folded the door back towards the rear of the vehicle and out of the way. This allowed open access to extricate the driver on to a full spine board.

All four (4) patients were extricated and packaged in less than a half-hour from the original call. They were transported to the Erie County Medical Center by Evans Center, Angola and Rural Metro ambulances.

Fire Police had shut down Southwestern Boulevard between Versailles Plank and Eden-Evans Center Road until the accident scene could be cleared. Late in the incident, units on scene were warned by dispatch that a high-speed police chase was headed their way out of Chautauqua County to the south. The chase was ended before it reached the accident scene.

Evans Center was assisted at the scene by the Angola Fire Control and Hamburg Fire Control D Dispatch Centers, Town of Evans and Village of Angola Police, Pinto's and Tick-Tock Towing and the emergency response units listed above.