EMERGENCY medical responders from the fire department safely removed a driver trapped inside an overturned water truck in Talofofo near Old Man by the Sea on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the fire department, on March 29, at approximately 1:12 p.m., a male caller reported that there was an overturned vehicle on the road near Old Man by the Sea.
At 1:16 p.m., Medic-4, Forestry-5, Engine-4, and Rescue-1 responded to the location.
At 1:28 p.m., Engine-4 and Medic-4 were the first units to arrive on the scene, according to Robert Mojica, public information officer of the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
“Upon arrival at the scene, Medic-4 main attendant, FFI Mariano A. Aguon, stated that the vehicle was seem flipped over and sitting on its roof. When patient contact was made, the driver stated that as he was driving downhill…he…tried to avoid another truck, [which caused] his vehicle [to] slide to the left of the road and…flip onto its roof,” Mojica said.
Rescue-1 and Forestry-5 personnel used extraction and webbing tools to stabilize the vehicle.
Once the vehicle was stabilized, a draw sheet was placed on the driver’s head to avoid any glass or debris from falling on him, Mojica said.
The Jaws of Life and a cutter were used to cut and open the vehicle’s door so DFEMS personnel could pull out the driver.
He was then placed onto a spine board with a cervical collar and was brought onto Medic-4 which transported him to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation for further medical attention.
The driver is employed by RNV Construction whose operations manager, Moises Tagle, issued the following statement:
“The scattered rain showers throughout yesterday caused slippery road conditions around the area of the curved road. Our water truck driver managed to stay in control of the steering wheel to avoid the ravine but…he ended up hitting the mountain area which caused the water truck to tip over. The driver was eventually brought to the hospital [and] was released later…that day. He…got a small cut on his cheek and some scratches on his left arm due to the accident. Other possible causes of the accident are still under investigation.”
The fire department’s first responders use extraction and webbing tools to stabilize a water truck that overturned in Talofofo on Wednesday. The vehicle’s driver was safely pulled out and brought to the hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.
