Crews Quickly Extricate Woman in North Bethesda Crash

The Rescue Squad worked closely with crews from Bethesda, Cabin John, and the National Institutes of Health to quickly extricate a passenger trapped in her vehicle following a 2-vehicle crash.

            Units were dispatched at about 8 p.m. for a personal injury collision on Westlake Terrace over top of the I-270 Spur.  Engine 726, from Bethesda’s Democracy Blvd. station, arrived on scene first.  It reported a 2-vehicle t-bone collision with one person trapped and unconscious, and requested Medic 741 to be dispatched.  It also provided detailed arrival instructions for the Rescue Squad so that it would be well positioned for the extrication.

            By the time the Rescue Squad 741-B arrived on scene, E-726 had stabilized the vehicle and the crew from Cabin John Truck 710 had pulled the hydraulic spreaders to the vehicle, so that the squad crew could go to work immediately.  After breaking out the passenger side windows, the crew used the spreaders to pop the door open.  This made room to access and remove the patient.

            The patient was removed on NIH Ambulance 751’s backboard and the medic began an assessment.  Finding the patient to be only minimally responsive to verbal commands, the medic declared her a Priority 1 trauma, and M-741 transported immediately to the Trauma Center at Suburban Hospital.

            The Squad crew then assisted the NIH ambulance in packaging a less seriously injured patient who was in the striking vehicle, who also was transported to Suburban Hospital.

            Chief 741 also responded and took command of the operation.

Return to "The Squad in Action"