Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A heavy-duty tow truck had to be used to remove a steel I-beam from the cab of a semi-truck early Tuesday morning near milepost 10 on Highway 68. It took more than two hours and everything in their bag of tricks for the Bullhead City Fire Department to extricate the driver of the semi after he slammed into the back of another semi carrying steel I-beams. Both trucks were headed westbound on Highway 68 when the accident occurred around 2 a.m. According to BCFD, the I-beam came within inches of the conscious and trapped driver. The heavy-duty tow truck had to be called from Kingman to lift the I-beam and unpin the driver. The pinned driver was flown to Las Vegas for treatment. His condition is unknown. Highway 68 was closed for about three hours while crews worked to free the driver.

see another reason right there not to tailgate.thoughts go out to the driver'hope he pulls thru'but drivers' what happed there is a reason when you are driving that truck that you be awere of whats going on infront of you all times. it could have been alot worse than it was.

Amen Brother. Hope he pulls through as well. Checked the news this morning, no news on the driver, but here is another article from one of our other local newspapers.

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Driver hurt in collision of trucks on Highway 68



Wednesday, October 28, 2009 12:42 AM CDT

Daily News staff

BULLHEAD CITY - One man was seriously injured in a collision involving two semi tractor trailer rigs on Highway 68 heading toward Bullhead City.
At approximately 2:16 a.m., Tuesday the Bullhead City Fire Department responded to the collision at mile post 10 on Highway 68. It involved a truck carrying produce and another hauling heavy construction I-beams. Both were westbound on 68 when the truck carrying produce apparently ran into the rear of the other rig.

“Impact was significant and intrusion into the driver's compartment by heavy I-beams came within inches of the driver,” according to Larry Tunforss, spokesman for the BHCFD. “Fire crews worked tirelessly for two hours and 10 minutes to extricate the driver from his cab.”

Crews used every tool available including air bags, cribbing, jacks, jaws of life, and even a heavy duty commercial tow truck from Kingman to lift the I-beam load and unpin the trapped, but conscious, driver, Tunforss said.

Once extricated, the driver, whose identity was unavailable, was flown to a trauma center in Las Vegas where his condition was unknown Tuesday night.

The loads on the involved trailers were produce and heavy steel I-beams, and did not pose a hazardous threat, Tunforss said.

The Department of Public Safety and the Arizona Department of Transportation shut down Highway 68 during the incident for the safety of crews working to free the driver and then dislodge the two tractor trailers; Highway 68 was reopened in approximately three hours.