Howe Ave. MVA (Shelton, CT) 2/27/07

SHELTON, CT – A little past 10:00pm on February 27, Shelton Fire Companies 1 and 4 were dispatched to a truck off the road on Howe Avenue near Grove Street. The Jeep Grand Cherokee had lost control, driven across a yard, and plunged off of an embankment. The vehicle came to a stop on the embankment because it had become lodged against a tree. Fire department members had to stabilize the vehicle to keep it from rolling farther down the embankment should it become loose from the tree that was holding it up. The driver, who was found alone in the vehicle, was not pinned or seriously hurt, but had to wait for the vehicle to be stabilized before she could be removed from the Jeep. Members from Company and 1 and 4 had to descend the embankment with the help of ropes because of the steep incline and icy conditions. Once at the vehicle, they used struts and straps on the undercarriage of the vehicle to keep it stabilized for patient removal. The patient was lashed into a stokes basket and pulled up the embankment by ropes.