Firefighters Extricate Semi Driver After Truck Slams Into Tree

Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department, Chattanooga firefighters and the CFD’s Special Operations Division worked an extrication Saturday night 10/28/23 at mile marker 9.4 on Interstate 75 Southbound between the Ooltewah and Volkswagen exit. A truck ran off the road after 5 PM and ended up in the woods. It was a joint effort by both departments to cut the driver out. Hamilton County EMS then transported the driver to local hospital. 

Here's a detailed explanation from the incident report: At 17:08 on 10/28/23, Squad 7, Ladder 7, Squad 13, and the Battalion Chief for District 2 Green Shift were dispatched to a reported MVC with entrapment involving a semi-truck off the interstate at the 940 mile marker on I-75 SB. TCFD was also dispatched as part of the area’s automatic aid agreement. Squad 7 also requested an additional squad, Squad 19, to be assigned to the call for additional assistance as needed. CFD Special Operations also responded to the scene to assist as well. S7 arrived on scene and established command with CPD, who was already on scene. The semi-truck was located approximately 80 feet off the roadway in the wooded area beside the interstate. It was the only vehicle involved in the incident. The tractor of the semi had heavy front-end impingement from a collision with a large tree. The tractor and portion of the trailer were suspended over the embankment due to being caught in additional trees. Contact was made with the party inside by CPD and CFD personnel and it was confirmed that there was no hazardous material being hauled in the trailer. The trailer had also suffered front end damage during the collision, but no contents had escaped from it. TCFD units arrived on scene to provide aid as needed. Three Paratech struts with extensions were used, along with CFD pickets to secure the suspended portion of the vehicle before extrication began. Multiple extinguishers were brought to the scene for fire control by L7 personnel, who also provided aid in managing and placing the Paratech struts along with TCFD personnel. A salvage tub was placed under the truck to collect leaking fluids during extrication operations once the struts were in place. Multiple eDRAULIC spreaders were used on both sides of the tractor, along with a TCFD ladder to allow CFD and HCEMS personnel access to provide initial medical care for the driver. S7 and S13 personnel, along with TCFD personnel, performed extrication operations with 28 and 32-inch spreaders, J-Hook chain clusters, and reciprocating saws. S19 built a low-angle rope system to help retrieve the patient once the extrication was complete and provided additional manpower. A chainsaw and bolt cutters were used to provide a clear path to the rope system and a hoseline was placed and manned during the extrication operations. The patient was unable to open the doors of the vehicle and both of their legs were pinned by the dash assembly. The extrication involved two door pops, a cut along the body of the top of the sleeper of the tractor trailer to allow for movement of the tractor body when needed, and a dash push and partial dash removal using spreaders and reciprocating saws. The steering wheel was also moved and secured using J-Hook chain clusters to create additional room for the patient. Once the patient was freed, they were placed on a backboard and then a Stokes basket where they were brought up the embankment and turned over to HCEMS. All units removed their equipment and placed it on the respective trucks and were then cleared to leave the scene. Monteagle Towing and Recovery arrived on scene and took over removing the truck from the wooded area, as well as hazmat cleanup. Any remaining units were cleared to return to service at 19:04.

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