A Westlock County man was airlifted to hospital following a crash between an SUV and tractor-trailer on Highway 2 near Vimy on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
Police say shortly after 2:30 p.m. an SUV travelling eastbound on Township Road 590 was struck by the northbound tractor-trailer on Highway 2, sending both vehicles into the ditch.
STARS air ambulance was called in to transport the driver, and lone occupant of the SUV, to an Edmonton hospital.
“He was conscious and breathing, he had severe injuries,” said RCMP Cpl. Lee Grieco-Savoy.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was assessed by EMS crews on scene, but was uninjured.
RCMP, EMS, along with town and county fire crews all assisted in the operation.
Westlock County fire chief John Biro said upon arrival EMS had already strapped down the patient and no vehicle extrication was required.
With air ambulance on the way, fire crews began setting up for the arrival of STARS.
“Our priority is setting up the landing zone and setting up a landing pad for STARS, making it safe,” Biro said.
“Myself, with assistance from town fire, we set up a landing zone for STARS and Busby, when they showed up and basically provided medical assistance with EMS, until we landed STARS.”
Biro added a proper zone needed to be set up in order for the helicopter to be able to land.
“There are requirements to set up a pad, a safe zone for them to land and knowing the hazards that surround because that information has to be relayed to STARS before they arrive on scene,” he said.
“To them, if it’s not safe, they’ll abort and maybe land somewhere else. You want to avoid that.”
