by Rik McClave
The Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department responded to three incidents within a period of 2 hours on Tuesday, March 19. [private]At approximately 8 pm, SVFD responded with one pumper, rescue truck and ambulance to an automobile accident on Route 43, just west of Calvin Cole Road. The call had been received that the vehicle had rolled over and there were serious injuries, however, upon arrival the driver and passenger were walking around the vehicle and reported that they were uninjured. The vehicle slid off the road, hit a stone wall, a tree and finally rolled over and back onto its wheels before coming to a rest against a telephone pole.
While investigating the accident Stephentown Ambulance was dispatched for a woman who was having difficulty breathing in another part of town. Also dispatched at the same time was Mohawk Ambulance paramedics who responded from West Sand Lake where they were in the process of returning to Troy from an earlier EMS call in Hoags Corners.
While transporting the patient to Albany Memorial Hospital driving conditions deteriorated due to a whiteout during a snow squall. The patient was safely delivered to the hospital, but while returning to Stephentown another call was received for an accident of car versus snowplow on Route 43 at the NY/MA state line. SVFD responded with a pumper, rescue truck and the ambulance, which had to respond from Route 43 in West Sand Lake to the scene. The driver of the car, who resides in North Adams, was slightly injured, was treated by Stephentown EMTs, who were on the scene, and taken by Stephentown Ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center. The driver of the snow plow, owned by a Massachusetts company under contract for snowplowing Route 43 in Hancock, was uninjured.
SVFD returned in service just after midnight and after more than four hours of incidents.
The New York State police responded to and investigated both accidents.[/private]