Vehicle Rescue on Melrose Lane

Royal Road Area-

On Saturday, July 14, 2012, at 9:21 p.m., the Lakeside Fire District received a call of a head-on collision in the 8200 block of Melrose Lane. Initially a structural engine, rescue company, and an ALS medic unit were dispatched to the incident. With firefighters enroute, the Heartland Communications Center relayed that the San Diego Sheriff was on-scene with a trapped victim and additional patients that had been ejected from the vehicle. Based on that information, an additional ALS medic unit was dispatched along with the Lakeside duty chief (Tockstein).

Due to the amount of damage, the entire side of the vehicle was removed by rescuers.

On the arrival of Engine Company 19 (San Miguel Fire, Bostonia station), firefighters discovered a critical patient trapped in the vehicle. Additionally, three other victims were located complaining of various injuries. A request was made for a basic life support ambulance due to the number of patients. The crew initiated care for a trauma victim with a severe head injury.

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With the arrival of Rescue Company 3 (Lake Jennings Fire Station), the decision was made that the entire side of the vehicle needed to be removed to properly remove the trapped occupant. The crew utilized hydraulic rescue tools to conduct what is called a "Side Blitz" on the vehicle. During this operation, both of the doors and a supporting pillar are removed.  With the operation complete, the occupant was secured to a backboard and loaded into Medic 2 (Riverpark fire station) for transport to Sharp Memorial Trauma Center.

The additional victims were transported via M3 (Lake Jennings fire station) and American Medical Response (BLS).

A total of eight Lakeside personnel responded to the incident assisted by three personnel from the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District.

CHP is investigating the incident.

Submitted By: Fire Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire Protection District