JACKSONVILLE -- Firefighters on Jacksonville's west side responded to an overturned cement truck Monday. The early morning accident occurred at the intersection of Argyle Forest Blvd and Brannan Field Rd.
JFRD Brush 52 was the first unit to arrive on scene. Brush 52 reported that a cement truck was overturned and the driver was trapped inside the vehicle. In addition to the trapped victim, fuel from the truck had spilled into the street.
Upon arrival, Jacksonville Firefighter Eugene Stevens proceeded to crawl into the truck to begin patient care. Once Stevens made entry into the cab of the overturned vehicle, he found the passengers leg pinned between the driver's seat and the door of the truck.
Firefighters worked feverishly against time, a small cab, and unseasonably cold temperatures hovering around freezing to extricate the victim. Stevens used hydraulic shears from JFRD Squad 32 to cut the steering wheel and then used a hydraulic ram to lift the driver's seat just enough to free the patient's leg. Paramedics from JFRD Ladder 10 established an IV, ran fluids, and kept the patient warm during the extrication. Foam operations were provided by JFRD Engine 31.
The patient was extricated from the vehicle and flown to Jacksonville's Shands Trauma Center. No firefighters were injured during the event.
For more information on the Jacksonville Firefighters, visit them online at www.jfrd.com.
