MVA Rollover.... What would you do?

[squady]

Ok, this is an incident that I was on. I know what happened, just want to see what you all would do.

Dispatched to an auto accident on a divided highway 2 lanes each direction, late evening this past November 16th. Dual assignment each direction due to limited access (1 Engine 1 Bus). First unit on scene identifies that the vehicle (2wd, 2dr, ford ranger style p/u) had rolled a number of times. 1 pt in vehicle, driver side, report of a possible second pt having been in vehicle. Vehicle has very significant damage to all sides. Passenger side Front tire/wheel, etc... gone... Fuel and other fluids leaking. Only access to pt is thru the window. Roof is caved almost to the dashboard on the passenger side.
So using the equipment you have on the call, let's see what you all do....

First a lil info on the units. Both engines carry some compliment of squad equipment, enough combined to equal a medium duty squad. Total of 3 ambulances, 2 medics and a shock trauma.

And so you know I was the OIC on the first engine and had command, so feel free to ask me question about what we did, but I'm looking for what you all would have done....

So get cutting :-D

[Creeping Death]

Is the vehicle on it's roof? If thats the case, after scene safety, stabilize with high lift jacks or struts, is the rear window an access point?

It's be cool if you had a picture to better get an idea

[Tiderman]

I will give it a go.
I will ASSume it is still on its roof.

If the drivers side is not too bad i would remove the door and extricate the patient that way. If not I would use jacks, progressive cribbing and airbags to raise the truck high enough to remove the roof. This would help in determining if there is another patient and make extrication possible.

Like creeping wrote it would be easier with a picture.

How did it really go down?

[Creeping Death]

That would be cool if you did that or rolled a dash up side down... definately interesting

[Rocky]

If we know that there is only one person CURRENTLY in the vehicle, while my Engines are stabilizing and extricating the pt in the driver's side, I'd have 2 of my medics searching the vacinity around the accident looking for a possibly ejected 2nd pt.

Depending on my ETA to a trauma center, I'd call for a 2 Medavacs. One for my driver, another for my passenger.

[Beef14]

Depending on how the vehicle was sitting when it came to a rest after the roll over. I would stablize with cribbing or jack stands at all 4 points, and have one of my FF pull an 1 3/4 attack line and apply a blanket of foam down to the leaked fuel and have another FF disconnect tha battery (precautionary). Have a medic attempt to reach the victim inside and get his neck stablized and acess him/her. If the vehicle and constion both allow me to I would do a standard door and rrof romoval and if neccessary, roll the dash board.
-A picture of the vehicle if you had one would be great just to get a visual.
S. Hall

[squady]

Hey guys, sorry for not getting back on here in awhile.

Anyway to answer some of your question, the vehicle came to rest right side up. Unfortunely I don't have a picture.

Beef14 you pretty much hit the nail on the head as to what we actually did. We did not have to roll the dash though. not enough impact damage to the front of the vehicle to collapse it. As it was, after the vehicle was stabilized and they started to cut, they took the roof first and when they cut the B post the door popped open.

As for medavac, the medic's decided the patient was stable enough to go by ground to the local hospital. Pt only injury they found was a deformed left elbow.

We never did find a second patient and well into the incident they medics finally passed the information along that there had not been a second patient.

[MG3610]

If the roof was crushed down onto the victim, probably would have used spreader to jack it back up a bit to get some better pt access, then removed the door(s) and roof last. Hard to say without a picture, but the roof provides a good support to push against to start getting the door rolled down and out. Lifting the roof up first can expose if the pt is entangled more than meets the eye too.

As a general question, how many people go right for the pin if you are taking a door, or do you start up high and "roll" the door down and out away from the vehicle?