California Vehicle Accident Injures 12 From Church Group

Sacramento - At 4:53 a.m. the Sacramento Regional Fire and EMS Communications Center began to receive multiple reports of a vehicle accident involving a large passenger van on northbound Interstate 5 south of Pocket Road. The accident scene was just inside the Sacramento City limits but due to the direction of travel, access to the scene and with the boundary drop dispatching for regional fire resources, Fire Dispatch sent two Engines, one Truck, one medic, and one Battalion Chief from the Elk Grove Fire Department. The California Highway Patrol was the first on the scene and reported multiple injuries to at least a dozen victims. CHP also gave responding units a request for at least one medi-vac helicopter and additional information which prompted Battalion Chief John Michelini to order an additional Fire Company and Medic.

Once on scene a major medical incident was declared, known as a Multi-casualty Incident (MCI), with five additional Medics and one additional Engine Company requested. This declaration is done to notify UCD Medical Center of the event and to coordinate patient transport to several area hospitals.

The scene involved 12 victims who were part of a larger group returning home from Mexico after a church outing. The group was from the Ashland, Oregon area. The van was carrying one 28 year-old adult and 11 children ranging in age from 13 - 17. A triage of the scene found injuries ranging from minor to critical. Triage, treatment and transport areas were established and Medics were lined up to begin transporting the injured. A landing zone was set up for CHP helicopter H20 for the medi-vac of the more seriously injured. Although most of the injuries are minor to moderate, all were transported and three remain in critical condition.

The breakdown of the patients transported is: two to Kaiser Hospital South, two to Mercy Methodist Hospital, four to UCD Medical Center, three to Mercy San Juan, and one by helicopter to Sutter Roseville. The conditions of the patients are: the four transported to Kaiser and Methodist were treated and released, two of the patients at UCD are in good condition with the other two in critical, the three patients at Mercy San Juan are in good condition, and the one at Sutter Roseville remains in critical condition.

The response included three Engines, one truck, eight Medics, one Battalion Chief, one helicopter, and 2 support staff for a total of 33 Fire Fighters from Elk Grove Fire Department, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department and the Sacramento Fire Department.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the CHP. They will be releasing that information.

Thank you to the Elk Grove Fire Department for setting up a solid Incident Command Structure and carrying out the MCI protocols very well. Thank you to CHP for providing prompt and accurate information that greatly assisted Fire in requesting additional resources to provide excellent patient care and rapid patient transport.