On the early morning hours of March 16th 2004 the Toms River Fire Companies # 1 & # 2 in Toms River N.J. were requested to respond code 3 to a car into a building with extrication on Route 37 east near the Route 166 intersection.
At 3:49 a.m. the Chief signed on the air and had been notified that an S.U.V. traveling east bound on Rt. 37 had struck a utility pole head on, spun around into a parking lot and came to rest under a car port of an unoccupied building.
The first arriving unit ( Heavy Rescue 2624 ) was ordered to crib the vehicle, remove the drivers side door and prepare to perform a dash role. The second in unit ( Rescue Engine 2561 ) was ordered to remove the passenger side door, remove the windshield and to also prepare to perform a dash role. The next two units were told to send their crews for man power.
Once completed the victim was able to be removed by E.M.S. with the assistance of Firefighters, a third unit was ordered to respond to the landing zone for the N.J. State Police Medi-Vac helicopter.
The victim was flown to the Trauma center and had suffered massive head, leg and internal injuries. The structure had minor damage.
Thanks to the rapid response and the dedicated combined team work of Firefighters, E.M.S., Paramedics, Police and the Medi-Vac helicopter, the victim has survived this horrible incident.
