One Dead, Three Hospitalized After Southeast Austin Car Accident
January 22nd, 2024
One person died and three people were hospitalized following a major accident in southeast Austin on January 18. Major extrication efforts had to be undertaken on the scene of the crash. Learn more from the team here at Ramos James Law about the Austin car accident and how emergency responders rescue victims from crashes.
The Austin Car Accident
A two-vehicle crash in southeast Austin left one dead and three hospitalized on Thursday, January 18. The accident happened near the 7800 block of South U.S. 183 just before 7 a.m.
According to authorities, there were four people involved in the crash, one of whom died on the scene. The remaining three were each taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. STAR Flight transported at least one patient.
Upon arriving at the scene, authorities found the four injured patients, with two pinned in place. Extrication efforts went on for more than an hour, and firefighters had to use heavy lifting techniques to free the patients.
Reporting is mixed as to which victims were hospitalized and who was killed in the crash. At least one report claims that one of the two pinned victims died on the scene, while another states that both pinned victims were hospitalized.
Methods Used for Car Accident Extraction and Rescue
First of all, it’s important to note that Austin car accidents involving pinned victims can be incredibly serious, especially crashes in which one or more vehicles have flipped upside down. Victims are often trapped by seats, brake or gas pedals, steering wheels, damaged doors, and collapsed roofs. The methods used by emergency responders to rescue victims trapped in vehicles will vary depending on the position of the vehicles and the position of the victim.
According to the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA), rescuers use four methods to extract victims from car accidents: manipulative extrication, disassembly, cutting, and forcing. These techniques are used to create egress points out of the vehicle, meaning openings through which the victim can be removed. Egress points are typically made by removing glass, doors, sidewalls, kick panels, or the vehicle’s roof; by converting the wall of the vehicle into a new door; or by tunneling through the trunk or floorboard.
When the methods for establishing an egress point mentioned above aren’t successful, rescuers may attempt more significant structural overhauls to free victims from the wreckage. This might include ramming or cutting into the roof or ramming other parts of the vehicle.
To successfully remove victims from crashed vehicles, firefighters need a thorough understanding of all the ways to take apart a car quickly. This means being familiar with the structural reinforcement and weaknesses of cars, as well as safe methods for using heavy machinery to cut through the vehicle.