Box 2113

On Saturday morning at 0345 hours, Chester Fire Communications alerted the rescue assignment for a motor vehicle accident with ejection on Route 1, south of West Christine Road in West Nottingham Township.

Deputy 21 (Kelley) and Assistant 21 (Prettyman) both marked up minutes later to receive supplemental information from the 911 center advising of a two vehicle head-on accident with ejection on the northbound lanes, and a third vehicle involved in a secondary collision at the scene. With this information, an aero-medical helicopter was placed on standby status and an additional paramedic unit was added to the incident.

Ambulance 21-2 arrived and immediately began patient care, confirming two patients heavily entrapped, and no ejection. Medic 94-2 also requested aero-medical helicopter Pennstar 2 to direct fly to the scene.

Assistant 21 arrived and assumed the "Route 1 Command".

Rescue 21 (Lt. Slauch) arrived with the crew splitting the tasks of vehicle stabilization and deploying multiple rescue tools for extrication.

Engine 21-1 (Reisinger) arrived and was directed to establish a landing zone on Route 1 north of the accident, while Engine 21-3 (Capt. Paxson) arrived and assisted in the extrication efforts at the incident scene.

Crews worked for 15 minutes to extricate the trapped occupant by removing the doors and roof from the heavily damaged vehicle. The patient was moved to Cecil Ambulance 891 and packaged for aero-medical transport.

Unfortunately the operator of the second vehicle succumbed to severe injuries at the scene prior to emergency units arrival.

Crews operated at the incident for several hours assisting the Pennsylvania State Police with lighting and extricating the second victim from the vehicle.

Pennstar2 transported one patient to the local trauma center.

Union Fire cleared the incident scene at 0611 hours.

The Union Fire Company No. 1 extends our deepest sympathies to all of those affected by this tragedy.