Guntersville, Alabama Firefighters Extricate One from Overturned 18-Wheeler

On March 22, 2005 at 0900 hours Guntersville Fire/Rescue was dispatched by Guntersville PD to an 18-wheeler overturned with entrapment. Responding to the scene were Rescue 1, Engine 1 and Car 11 (Deputy Chief of Special Ops). No information on the type of truck or products being transported was available upon receipt of the call.

Car 11 arrived on-scene to find a loaded feed truck lying on its driver's side, off the roadway, with the driver pinned in the driver's seat. Car 11 established command. Members of the Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department were already on-scene and in the process of securing the vehicle and assessing the driver. The driver was a 26 year old male, conscious and alert; he had no obvious injuries.

Rescue 1 and Engine 1 arrived on-scene within two minutes of Car 11. Rescue 1 began extrication operations, while Engine 1 set-up hoselines and provided scene safety. A local wrecker on-scene was put into operation to assist with stabilizing the truck cab during extrication. During the 45 minute operation, a Marshall Health System Ambulance and Air-Evac Life Team helicopter stood by on-scene and assisted with patient care. Once the patient was extricated, he was packaged by medics and placed in the ambulance for transport to the helicopter. While being assessed by the ambulance crew and helicopter crew for injuries, the patient refused transport to the hospital and signed refusals. The patient was turned over to local law enforcement on-scene, whom arrested the driver for outstanding warrants.

There was outstanding cooperation between all agencies on the scene. Operating at the incident were Guntersville Fire/Rescue, Guntersville Police, Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department, Asbury Volunteer Fire Department, Alabama State Troopers, Marshall Health System EMS, Air-Evac Lifeteam, and Whitaker Wrecker Service.