Photo and story by Mike Watiker
The City of Knoxville (TN) Fire Department (KFD) was called to a commercial vehicle rollover crash the afternoon of May 20, 2014.
Just after 3 p.m., E-911 dispatchers were flooded with calls reporting a serious traffic crash and that a large truck had driven off the freeway.
According to the Knoxville police, the crash was caused when a tractor trailer and a single-axle straight truck collided.
This occurred on I-40 westbound just before the Strawberry Plains exit. The impact forced the smaller truck into the guardrail; it then tumbled over a bridge rail.
The single-axle truck, with one occupant, launched off the bridge and fell approximately 40 feet to the roadway below.
Knoxville firefighters were on the way within seconds. Based on the civilian 911 reports, additional resources were dispatched.
KFD had sent Eng-16 and Rescue-1. In addition, Rescue-2, Eng-6, and Squad-4 were dispatched, as well as support staff.
KFD Assistant Chief Pollard was the scene incident commander. Rural/Metro EMS had a medic on scene and an airship from University of Tennessee LifeStar was requested, as well.
First-arriving companies found the flatbed truck in the middle of the roadway resting on its top.
Numerous rescue personnel were arriving on scene and the vehicle was quickly stabilized. Firefighters began extrication efforts from both sides of the vehicle.
Through the use of hydraulic tools, reciprocating saws, and KFD firefighter ingenuity, the driver was freed in just under 20 minutes.
Patient care was transferred to the LifeStar flight crew and the patient was quickly airlifted to the UT emergency department. The “Golden Hour” rule was achieved.
The victim was semi-alert doing the rescue effort and was able to maintain his own airway.
The City of Knoxville (TN) Fire Department provides, fire, rescue, hazmat, and ALS life support to the citizens of Knoxville.
KFD is a fulltime career department staffing a variety of apparatus from 19 stations located throughout the city.
For more information their website is: http://www.cityofknoxville.org/kfd/
See more photos from the crash scene HERE.
Mike Watiker is on Twitter @mwatiker.
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