April 09--ACWORTH -- An Acworth firefighter has a long recovery ahead of him, but is doing well given the serious injuries he suffered in a single-vehicle crash last week, the town's fire chief said.
Michael Blake, 65, of Acworth remains hospitalized at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, where he was airlifted April 1.
That morning, Blake crashed his 1986 GMC pickup truck into a guardrail on Beryl Mountain Road -- and the impact of the collision split the truck in two, according to N.H. State Police. The cab detached from the frame of the truck and traveled down an embankment near the Cold River with Blake trapped inside, state police said.
Blake broke his neck in the crash and underwent surgery at the Lebanon hospital the same day, Acworth Fire Chief Steven G. Morris said. He's now in a neck brace and is expected to start physical rehabilitation toward the end of this week, Morris said in an interview Tuesday.
"He had a couple of setbacks over the weekend, but he's doing a lot better. He's a lucky guy."
State police said defective equipment appears to have been a factor in the crash. The authorities believe Blake's truck lost its brakes, Morris said.
Blake has served as a volunteer firefighter in Acworth for about 37 years.
Alyssa Dandrea can be reachedat 352-1234, extension 1435, or [email protected].
Copyright 2014 - The Keene Sentinel, N.H.
