On Thursday January 10, at 3:21pm the Mineola Fire Department was alerted for a Rescue Call – Request for the Amkus tool for a reported “Person trapped under a car” on Sagamore Ave. Responding First Assistant Chief Robert Connolly was advised that Police on scene were confirming a person trapped and requesting a Forthwith response. The Chief requested that an Ambulance be assigned and FIRECOM advised that Mineola VAC was en-route. Upon arrival Chief Connolly found a four door sedan with a second two door car on top of it. Apparently the four door sedan was being driven into the garage and the driver lost control of the vehicle. This vehicle collided with a portable lift which was elevating the two door car. The second car then fell on top of the first car. Inside the bottom car, a Male was seated in the driver’s seat. Chief Connolly initially entered the vehicle to asses the driver’s injuries. The driver was conscious but in substantial pain. The drivers left leg had been extended outside the car door while the car was moving and it was now wedged between the door and the frame of the vehicle. The driver’s side of the bottom vehicle had come to rest up against a storage cabinet. This resulted in the driver being trapped in the car. Capt. Joel Orr of the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corp. (MVAC) arrived on scene and took over the medical treatment of the patient. Capt. Orr entered the car to stabilize the victim and remained with the victim during the extrication.

Heavy Rescue 1610 arrived on scene with the necessary tools to perform the rescue. With medical care already being provided by MVAC, the Fire Departments next task was to stabilize the vehicles to prevent an additional collapse. 1st Lt. Nick Martone, Firefighters Rich Klein, Dave Redmond, Don Franz, Tom O’Brien and Bill Symington went to work placing lumber of various lengths under the cars to shore up the car on top and prevent it from falling over. With the scene relatively safe the next task was disentangling the victim from the auto. This meant moving the obstacles with out disrupting the precariously balanced auto on top and without further injuring the patient. Ex-Captain Brian Santosus and Ex-Captain Chris Franz went to work with the Amkus Hydraulic Rescue tool known as the “Jaws of Life”. They methodically cut away debris to give them better access to the patient. During this operation, Ex-Chief Scott Strauss operated as a Safety Officer offering technical guidance and ensuring the well being of both the patient and firefighters. The rescuers recognized that the victims’ leg could be freed if they could gain a few inches of room to open the door. Using the spreaders they displaced the door into the cabinet and freed the driver’s leg. With the drivers entire body now back inside the vehicle, MVAC went to work packaging the aided onto a backboard. The driver’s seat was reclined and the aided was ultimately removed through the driver’s side rear door. Once outside the vehicle the aided was triaged at the scene and transported to Winthrop Hospital by MVAC.