One man injured in Franklin County crash

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Wash.-- A commercial truck driver was flown to Kadlec Medical Center in Richland with injuries after crashing his truck in Franklin County Tuesday morning.

Crews with Franklin County Fire District 3 and the Pasco Fire Department responded to the area of Taylor Flats Road and Elm Road at about 9:15 a.m. for a report of a truck carrying unmixed cement that had crashed.

Chief Mike Harris with Fire District 3 says the truck was resting against a utility pole.

"The power pole was wedged through the driver's portion of the cab, with the truck laying on its side," Harris said. "So we had to deal with getting the truck safely away from the injured driver, and we had to deal with that power pole in the way."

Linemen from Big Bend Electrical Cooperative responded to the scene to de-energize the impacted utility pole and divert the electricity around the pole so that dairies and other agricultural operations in the area could continue to function. They also helped to stabilize the utility pole, and provided crews with drinking water as they extrication continued into a second hour.

"It was about an hour and a half extrication, but when I look at the times the patient was really in there for about two hours before he was removed and LifeFlighted to Kadlec," Harris said.

The power pole wasn't the only challenge crews had to deal with. Direct sun light and warm temperatures coupled with protective equipment took their toll on the eight extrication technicians as they worked to break the cab apart to safely removed the driver.

"We used all the equipment that we carry. We had our Jaws of Life, everything that could lift, pry, spread, air bags, chisel, high lift jacks, wenches. We had a couple of front end loaders from the dairy to help push the vehicle and kind of flex it the way we wanted to."

Harris said the driver had injuries to his upper body and arm, and was placed on the helicopter in stable condition.