BAKERSFIELD, CA – Tuesday, May 20th at approximately 3:56 P.M., a Battalion Chief traveling along Hwy 99 South came across a multi vehicle accident involving 6 cars, 1 passenger van and 1 big rig truck. Approximately 23 firefighters arrived on scene, 2 victims were pinned in.
Upon arrival, fire crews were faced with several vehicles which had collided on the highway blocking all 3 lanes. Both victims were sitting in the rear seat of the same vehicle and were pinned at the ankles and legs by the front seats. Fire crews used hydraulic rescue equipment (“Jaws of Lifeâ€) to remove the roof from the vehicle, pry the door open and then open up a space inside the vehicle to enable them to be released from their entrapment. This resulted in a smooth and safe extrication of the victims in approximately 20 minutes. They were subsequently transferred to a local area hospital, 1 by medi-vac helicopter the other by a ground ambulance. A further 11 patients were treated at the scene and transported to local area hospitals by ground ambulances.
Written and submitted by Sean Collins, Public Information Officer, Kern County Fire Department
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