Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company

Motor Vehicle Accident with Entrapment

By Rescue Captain Julius Marosfalvi Jr.
March 17, 2008

At 16:54 hours on Sunday, March 16, 2008, the Valley Forge Fire Company and West End Ambulance and Medics were dispatched to an automobile accident with unknown injuries in front of 1145 Valley Forge Rd. Upon arrival, firefighters found a two vehicle accident, with one vehicle in a ditch and the other vehicle off to the side of the road.  The first arriving officer, Assistant Chief Evan Taylor, confirmed that the vehicle in the ditch had two patients still inside.  In addition, all the passengers from the other vehicle had already exited the vehicle under their own power however at least 2 of those individuals were in need of medical attention. Assistant Chief Taylor upgraded the assignment to an accident with two entrapped and assumed Valley Forge Rd Command.  Crews from Rescue 68 started vehicle stabilization and crews from Engine 68-2 began patient care.

Deputy Chief Kevin Geiger arrived on the scene, established Valley Forge Rd CP (Command Post) and requested a helicopter fly to the accident scene to transport one of the patients trapped.  Engine 68-1 arrived on the scene to establish a landing zone for the helicopter while the extra manpower assisted with the patient extrication. Once the vehicle was stabilized, firefighters began the process of cutting the roof from the vehicle.  The firefighters removed the entire roof of the vehicle and extricated the two patients from the vehicle in approx. 23 minutes. 

One patient was transported by helicopter to Hanaman Hospital while two others were transported by ambulance to Phoenixville Hospital and one patient was treated and released at the scene.

Units on scene were Rescue 68, Engine 68-2 and Engine 68-1, Brush 68, 68 Fire Police, MICU 67-5, MICU 67-4, MICU 67-3 and MedEvac-6.

Route 23 (Valley Forge Rd) was shut down for a little more than 1 hour to allow for patient extrication and accident investigation.  The road was re-opened once the vehicles involved in the accident were clear of the scene, at approx. 18:15 hours.