Man seriously hurt in crash on Fresno highway. Here’s how long crews worked to free him
A man had to be freed from his vehicle by rescuers as it sat just at the edge of the roadway Sunday after a two-vehicle collision into the guardrail along Highway 180.
The crash involving a Volvo and a Toyota Corolla happened at 11:44 a.m. along the westbound portion of the highway near the interchange with Freeway 99
The driver in the Volvo was trapped inside while the other vehicle continued down an embankment.
CHP spokesman Mike Salas said the Volvo changed lanes and it and the Toyota went into and through the guardrail. The guardrail went through the driver’s side of the Volvo, with the driver suffering major injuries to his lower body.
The driver was removed after being trapped in the car for 30 minutes, then taken to Community Regional Medical Center..
The Toyota driver had minor cuts to the face and head, Salas said.
The Fresno Fire Department responded to the scene and worked to free the man by using extra extrication tools, Battalion Chief Kirk Wanless said.
“You need to stabilize the vehicle,” he said. “That’s important when it’s on a flat surface like a road, but when it’s on an uneven, unstable surface like the exchanges the landscape that Caltrans does, you have to be careful as you’re working on the patient and not have the vehicle shift and roll on top of you or the patients. You do a lot of work to stabilize the vehicle “
