Rescuers said it was a miracle that a woman survived when a trailer carrying a small loader crashed into her Toyota Camry on Emory Valley Road on Friday evening, Sept. 2, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was last updated at 9:30 p.m.
Rescuers said it was a miracle that a woman survived when a trailer carrying a small loader crashed into her Toyota Camry on Emory Valley Road on Friday evening.
It took the Oak Ridge Fire Department about 55 minutes to remove the woman, who was pinned inside the car. She was flown by a Lifestar medical helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.
The woman, who was not identified, was talking to rescuers, authorities said. Her condition wasn’t clear, but she was reported to be conscious and alert.
“That’s probably the worst extrication I’ve seen where the person was still alive,” Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said. “There was an angel with her today.”
The crash was reported at about 5:30 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Emory Valley Road and Carnegie Drive in east Oak Ridge. The woman was put into an ambulance and taken to Roane State Community College at about 6:37 p.m. A Lifestar helicopter picked her up there.
During the rescue, firefighters had to try to get pressure off the woman, Kerley said. They used wooden cribbing from a heavy rescue truck to keep the dual-axle trailer and small Case skid steer loader stable as they used a tow truck to lift the trailer and loader up from the Camry. They put support blocks under the car also.
The extrication was complex because the weight of the trailer and the skid steer loader were on the woman, Kerley said.
Also, the brake pedal and floorboard were wrapped around her feet, and the driver’s compartment was compressed down on her. Even when rescuers cut away the car from around her, the driver was still held in by her foot, Kerley said. The Oak Ridge Fire Department used a special hydraulic cutter to cut away the brake pedal, which was holding her in.
The driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash, a dump truck, was not injured, authorities said.
Emory Valley Road was temporarily shut down for several hours Friday evening as the Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Fire Department, along with help from a Lifestar crew and Anderson County EMS, rescued the woman. They were able to give her oxygen and intravenous fluids.
The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately clear. At the crash site, the trailer and loader were separated from the dump truck. The Oak Ridge Police Department was investigating.
Kerley said 11 firefighters were involved in the rescue, along with two heavy rescue trucks, a light rescue truck, two fire engines, a battalion chief, and the fire chief. Several police officers responded as well, some to detour traffic, and so did Oak Ridge Deputy Police Chief Robin Smith.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Rescuers said it was a miracle that a woman survived when a trailer carrying a small loader crashed into her Toyota Camry on Emory Valley Road on Friday evening, Sept. 2, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
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Angi Agle says
Any update on the cause of the crash, the company owning the dump truck, and the woman’s condition? What a frightful reminder that every day is precious.
johnhuotari says
Angi and Bill,
I didn’t see any markings on the side of the dump truck that would clearly identify who owns it.
I have heard from a family member regarding the condition of the woman driving the car, and I’ll try to share that information as soon as I can.
I don’t have a cause yet. I tried to give myself a two-day break from posting and stories this weekend, so I just sent an inquiry via email this afternoon. It might be tomorrow (Tuesday) before I can get a crash report.
I don’t have any information on the hitch or the safety connection, but I assume suspected cause will be in the crash report.
I can’t answer the question about how the car and trailer with loader ended up in the grass off the side of the road. But here are a few observations from the crash site, for what it’s worth: There is an orange circle painted around a short, shallow groove in the center of the eastbound lane of Emory Valley Drive a short distance west of the intersection with Carnegie Drive. Then, closer to the intersection, there appears to be “dually” type skid marks (like from a truck with two tires on each end of an axle) in that eastbound lane. They were marked with orange paint by the Oak Ridge Police Department on Friday. A lighter set of “dually” skid marks starts in the eastbound lane maybe 10 feet before the intersection, if you’re headed east, and then there is a heavier set of “dually” skid marks continuing for maybe about 60 feet after Carnegie Drive and veering slightly right, toward the shoulder of the road, before they stop. In the opposite lane, the westbound lane, there is an orange circle painted in front of the intersection with Carnegie Drive. It appears to be marked POI (point of impact?). There is a separate set of single-tire skid marks leading from that point to the grass on the northeast corner of the intersection, where the trailer and loader were on top of the Camry, maybe about 25 feet from the orange POI circle. The trailer and loader, which were not connected to the dump truck at the crash site, had stopped pointed more to the east, and the Camry was pointed more to the west. I don’t know if that helps, but that’s what I saw. I am hopeful that the crash report will make sense of it.
Thank you,
John
Brad Johnson says
Mindy is doing better than expected. She has multiple broken bones in both legs that have required surgery. She also had surgery on one of her arms. She is black and blue from head to toe and some broken ribs as well. It truly is a miracle that she survived this horrible accident. Through all of this, her main concern was who was going to take care of the children at ETCH where she is an oncology nurse.
She had just pulled out of S. Columbia, turning left onto Emory Valley heading to work when this accident happened. Evidently there was a car in front of her that swerved out of the way when the trailer came unhitched and she never saw it coming. The impact of the 4 ton trailer and loader pushed her off the road and trapped her in the car with the weigh crushing down on her lower body.
This woman is a wife and mother to 3 beautiful children (ages 7,3,2). They need all of the prayers and support that our community can show them. There has been a gofundme account set up as well as a meal train account to aid with childcare, meals, and transportation for this family that will have a very long recovery ahead of them.
Pray, spread the word, or donate a gift card, meal, or cash. Whatever you do, please keep this beautiful family in your thoughts.
johnhuotari says
Thank you, Brad. We appreciate the update.
Brad Johnson says
All thanks goes to the ORFD and EMS for working diligently to save my friend. Mindy is a beautiful soul that has helped so many and constantly gives to her paitents, friends, co-workers, and strangers without ever thinking of herself. She has a long and painful recovery ahead of her and everyone’s thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated.
Ron Melancon says
Go to dangerous trailers DOT org and know that we keep warning the Government of Tennessee about these loose trailers and they have done nothing. We pray.
johnhuotari says
For those who might have missed the stories, we posted an update on the condition of the driver of the car, Mindy Carter, here: http://oakridgetoday.com/2016/09/07/woman-injured-in-friday-car-trailer-crash-in-stable-condition-at-ut-medical-center/
And we posted a story on the cause of the crash, according to an ORPD report, here: http://oakridgetoday.com/2016/09/07/police-trailer-came-loose-from-truck-before-crashing-into-car-on-friday/
Ron Melancon says
The trailer is in violation of Federal law…it should have had rated safety chains…they needed to be crossed and a secondary working breaking system need to be functional….this trailer had none….why are these trailers on the road in this condition?