Pine Grove, SC (Paul Kirby) – A single pickup truck went off the road and into a tree trapping one woman under the dash Friday morning. The accident happened on Emmanuel Church Road close to Emmanuel Court. Firefighters arriving first reported they did have the one woman trapped in its cab.
The truck skidded from the wet road and hit the tree with enough force to roll the dashboard down, pinning the young woman’s legs. More rescuers arrived, and some began to provide patient care while others used hydraulic rescue tools to free the woman. Those special tools allowed the crews to eventually push the dash upward and off her lower extremities freeing the woman. During the entire rescue, it was pouring down rain, making the first responders’ work more difficult. An experienced battalion chief and EMS supervisor were on scene the entire time, overseeing the efforts.
Patient care was immediately turned over to a Lexington EMS crew that transported her to Prisma Health’s Palmetto Campus. According to family members, she was in miraculously good health having suffered this ordeal. Doctors found no broken bones but had decided to keep her there for a night as a precaution.
The SCHP is investigating the accident. Family members say that faulty equipment may have played a part in the wreck.
