On July 7 at approximately 1 p.m., Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) units responded to a crash with a trapped victim at Long Beach Blvd. at East 16th Street.
Crews on Engine 3 found that a Metrolink Train had collided with a Long Beach Police Department squad. The train had pushed the vehicle approximately 75 feet, with the officer still trapped inside, before it was able to completely stop.
A full assignment that included the LBFD USAR Team was then dispatched. Truck 7 was quickly utilized to perform vehicle extrication techniques to safely remove the injured officer from the wreckage. There were no other passengers inside the police car.
Throughout the rescue efforts, the officer was talking to the fire crews. His condition and injuries were listed as moderate at the time of the rescue.
He was then quickly transported to a local trauma center based on the mechanism of injury.
During the course of the extrication, fire crews also found that an additional 10 patients required medical attention due to minor injuries including neck and back pain.
At that point Engine 6’s captain declared the incident as a multi casualty incident (MCI) based on the number of patients involved.
Those patients were placed on backboards with cervical collars for precautionary measures and transported to local hospitals.
The cause of the collision is currently under investigation.
