Child thrown from vehicle, driver pinned in, during 82nd Ave. smashup

This crash could have had deadly consequences, officials say. See why people who saw the wreck say those involved are lucky to be alive …

The driver in the Nissan Quest (foreground) had to be cut out of the vehicle; an adult and three kids were injured in the full-size pickup.

Story by David F. Ashton; all photos by Dick Harris, Portland Fire & Rescue
Residents, and folks working at an auto shop on the corner of NE Prescott St and NE 82^nd Avenue, were startled by the sound of grinding crash at 11:23 a.m. on November 6.

The sun was shining – so this collision wasn’t weather related; witnesses gave conflicting reports of how the accident happened. It totaled a minivan and pickup truck.

But the aftermath found five trauma patients dispatched as soon as possible to hospitals – an adult and three children in the pickup truck,an adult in the minivan.

Firefighters use their Holmatro Rescue Tools to cut open the vehicle to free the victim trapped inside.

“Incident commanders immediately called for more resources, while firefighters began caring for the injured,” reported Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman Lt. Damon Simmons.

“One of the children in the pickup was ejected from the vehicle, but was reportedly conscious when firefighters arrived,” Simmons said.

While some firefighters work to remove the driver, another stands by with a charged water line to make sure the minivan doesn’t catch on fire.

Getting the driver out of the Nissan Quest minivan required firefighters to use their Holmatro Rescue equipment to cut open the vehicle like a can opener, and pry open enough space so the patient could be safely extricated.

“The four patients from the pickup were transported to Emanuel Hospital, and the driver of the minivan was transported to OHSU,” Simmons added. “The patients had injuries of varying severity, but all were Trauma System entries.”

With a rescue board slid in place, PF&R Truck 2 firefighters and an AMR paramedic get ready to remove the trapped victim.

Success! The crash victim is stabilized before being transported for medical care.

The Portland Police Bureau has yet to release information on this crash. We’ll update this article when more becomes available.

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