On September 12, 2003 at 12:29 pm, Hughesville Fire Department along with Hughesville’s and Benedict’s EMS was alerted to a vehicle collision on Leonardtown Road north of the center of town. While units responded, reports were received that there was a head-on collision and people were trapped. Additional units from Benedict fire and the Charles County Mobile Intensive Care Unit were alerted to respond.

Hughesville units arrived at about 12:31 pm to find a tractor trailer that slid off the roadway with front end damage, a passenger vehicle in the middle of the road with severe front end damage and a third vehicle with very minor damage. Leonardtown Road was completely shut down due to the debris on the roadway and a large amount of fuel leaking from a vehicle.

Squad 2’s crew stabilized the vehicles and began extricating a patient whom was severely trapped inside the passenger vehicle. Ambulance 27 initiated patient care to the trapped patient. The driver of the truck was not complaining of any injuries and the driver of the third vehicle was evaluated by Benedict’s EMS but was released.

The Incident Commander requested a helicopter to medevac the trapped patient to a trauma center and MSP Trooper 7 responded. After the patient’s injuries were stabilized, the extrication crew removed the roof, the driver’s door and rolled back the entire dashboard in order to remove the patient.

The patient was suffering from major lower extremity injuries and was Medevac’d to PG General Trauma Center by Trooper 2 from the SMECO landing site.

Special Unit 9 was called to the scene to help the State Highway Administration clean up a fuel spill on the roadway before it was opened back up nearly one hour later. All units in service.