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Fire & Ambulance assist on mass casualty accident in East Earl Township
By Safety Officer Christopher Eno
April 26, 2009
At 1:17AM on the morning of Sunday, April 26, Ambulance 4-9 was dispatched to assist the Blue Ball Fire Company (Station 3-2) on a vehicle accident with multiple injuries and entrapment in the 800 block of Gault Road in East Earl Township. The location was then believed to be in Salisbury Township and Engine 4-9-1 and Squad 4-9 were dispatched to assist at 1:20. (Later in the incident, it was found the the accident had indeed occurred in East Earl Township).
A police officer from the New Holland Borough police arrived on the scene and reported a total of 5 patients with traumatic injuries, one of which was ejected from the vehicle. Additional Basic and Advanced Life Support resources were quickly summoned to the scene, including a total of 6 ambulances, 5 paramedic units and an aeromedical helicopter. Chief 3-2 (Mellinger) arrived and confirmed one patient ejected, two patients self extricated and two patients were still heavily entrapped in the vehicle which had left the roadway and crashed into the woods.
The injured were quickly removed from the scene and taken to two local trauma centers for treatment of their injuries. Tragically, one of the injured persons succumbed to their injures while enroute to treatment.
Our thoughts are with the friends and families of the injured and deceased.
Due to the immediate area being stripped of available EMS units, Leola Ambulance 3-8-1 transferred to New Holland to cover any other emergencies, while Warwick Medic 12 transferred to Ephrata Community Hospital. The final 4-9 units cleared the scene at 2:59 while the final 3-2 units cleared at 3:46.
Later on in the morning at 8:10, Station 4-9 Fire Police and Squad 4-9 were dispatched back to the scene to reclose the roadway at the request of the East Earl Township Police while they further investigated the incident. the Squad and Fire police cleared the scene at 9:03.
Units:
Ambulance 4-9, Engine 4-9-1, Squad 4-9, Station 4-9 Fire Police
Mutual Aid:
Engine 3-2-2, Squad 3-2, Station 3-2 Fire Police (Blue Ball); Engine 3-9-1, Hose 3-9, Rescue 3-9 (Liberty- New Holland); Ambulance 3-9-1, Ambulance 3-9-2, Ambulance 3-9-3 (New Holland EMS); Ambulance 33-1 (Honey Brook EMS); Ambulance 3-19-1 (Fivepointville EMS); Medic 3, Medic 4, Medic 9 (Ephrata Hospital ALS); Medic 6-12-10, Medic 100 (Lancaster EMS); Ambulance 3-8-1 (Leola EMS); Medic 12 (Warwick EMS); SkyCare1 (Brandywine Hospital), East Earl Township Police, New Holland Borough Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Blue Ball Garage
Ambulance 3-9-1 & Ambulance 4-9
Ambulance 3-9-1, Ambulance 4-9, and Engine 4-9-1
Fire and EMS crews work to remove the patients from the wreckage.
Patients are removed to awaiting EMS units.
Fire and EMS crews work to remove the patients from the wreckage.
Honey Brook Ambulance 33-1
New Holland Ambulance 3-9-1
Blue Ball Squad 3-2 & Lancaster EMS Medic 6-12-10
Ephrata Community Hospital's Medic 4, Medic 3, and Medic 9 on the scene.
Blue Ball Engine 3-2-2 & Liberty New Holland Rescue 3-9
Tree bark was removed by the force of the collision
The vehicle struck the small tree on the left before impacting and bouncing off the larger tree behind it.
Skid marks began at the curve...
...and ended when the vehicle left the road
East Earl Township Police
The car is loaded on to the rollback
Blue Ball Garage removed the car from the scene.
Squad 4-9 at Narvon and Gault Roads later in the morning
Squad 4-9 and Station 4-9 Fire Police at Narvon and Gault Roads later in the morning
Can't even put his socks on right..... one is inside out.
