Field’s fire department used new Jaws of Life equipment to extricate two people from mangled wreckage on the Trans-Canada Highway near Field Monday (July 4).
Golden-Field RCMP is still investigating the accident which left two adults and four children with minor injuries, but sent a 19-year-old man to a Calgary hospital with serious head trauma.
“RCMP have ruled out speed and alcohol as casual factors,” said Const. Garth Burlock. “It appears at this point in the investigation, driver inattention played a large part.”
Golden-Field RCMP and the Trans East Canada Traffic Services responded to the accident, about five kilometers west of Field in Yoho National Park at 1 p.m..
Burlock said initial investigation revealed a westbound SUV had crossed the yellow double solid centre line and crashed into an eastbound motorhome.
He said the driver of the SUV was a 19-year-old man from Idaho, who was flown to Foothills Hospital in Calgary by STARS air ambulance.
The six people in the motorhome, including four children, were taken to Mineral Springs Hospital in Banff by ambulance, with non-life threatening injuries.
Sean Coubrough, Field’s fire chief, said the department had to extricate two patients at the scene, including the 19-year-old driver of the SUV.
He said, thankfully, the department had only recently received brand new hydraulic extrication equipment.
“We had older equipment that would not have been able to handle the new technologies, so having our new equipment is a bonus and made our job easier for us,” he said.
“It was the most difficult extrication I’ve ever been a part of. It was nearing an hour for the one patient, but we had him out before STARS arrived.”
