(Updated) Multiple Serious Injuries Following Brooklyn Crash
Brooklyn, Conn. - 5 people were transported to area hospitals with serious injuries following an early Sunday morning crash. 1 of those 5 has now been pronounced deceased.
Brooklyn, Conn. - 5 people were transported to area hospitals with serious injuries following an early Sunday morning crash. *A Griswold woman later succumbed to her injuries.
At approximately 4:35 am on Sunday, June 25th, 2023, the Mortlake Fire Company was dispatched to the intersection of Allen Hill Rd and Wauregan Rd for a motor vehicle accident with entrapment. Along with Mortlake, East Brooklyn, 3 ambulances, 3 paramedics, and a LIFE STAR were dispatched at the time of the call.
Upon arrival of the first unit, Mortlake Fire Company’s Chief Steve Breen, 3 patients were found entrapped in the vehicle with another two having been able to free themselves.
Chief Breen immediately began requesting additional resources; ambulances, paramedics, and Atwood Hose Fire Company, to assist at the scene.
*According to the Connecticut State Police, a Toyota Prius, occupied by 5 people, was traveling eastbound on Allen Hill Rd when it failed to stop at the intersection of Allen Hill Rd and Wauregan Rd. The vehicle then struck a tree head-on prior to traveling down an embankment.
As additional units began to arrive on the scene, Mortlake and East Brooklyn firefighters quickly went to work with extrication tools (jaws of life (spreaders) and cutters) removing pieces of the vehicle to free the entrapped victims. Approximately 30 minutes after the time of the call, all patients were freed.
A Hartford Hospital LIFE STAR helicopter was requested by QVEC Dispatchers under the Dispatcher Initiated Auto Launch (DIAL) protocols, a program allowing dispatchers to request a helicopter based on caller information prior to units arriving on the scene. The helicopter was not able to support the incident due to the weather.
With 5 total patients, all seriously injured, it was imperative to ensure all patients were transported to area hospitals that could handle their injuries. Early into the incident QVEC, at the request of Chief Breen, notified all area hospitals of the potential patients that may be transported to their emergency rooms. While one local hospital did state they would not have been able to handle all 5 serious patients appropriately, it did not end up being a factor. The EMTs and Paramedics on the scene decided to transport patients to Day Kimball Hospital, Plainfield Backus, and Norwich Backus based on the varying severity of their injuries. These decisions were made to ensure all patients received the best level of care, in a timely manner, for their respective injuries.
*According to the State Police, a Griswold woman was transported to Day Kimball Hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries. Two other occupants of the vehicle required further transport from Plainfield and Norwich Backus to Hartford Hospital where they remain in critical condition. Occupants of the vehicle ranged from 15-21 years of age.
With the town of Brooklyn not having 5 ambulances staffed, and KB Ambulance not staffing 5 Paramedics, mutual aid was crucial in this incident. Chief Steve Breen stated, “We’re greatly appreciative of all of the mutual aid that we received for this incident”. When asked about the timeliness and coordination of receiving numerous additional ambulances and paramedics, the furthest of which responded from Willimantic and Norwich, Chief Breen said “It went as well as it possibly could’ve considering the circumstances.”
The incident was placed under control after approximately 1 hour, with the Mortlake Fire Company holding the scene until the Town Highway Department was able to close the roadway. The scene was turned over to the Connecticut State Police to conduct their investigation.
Agencies that responded, or were dispatched to the scene, included the Mortlake Fire Company, East Brooklyn Fire Department, Atwood Hose Fire Company, Mortlake Ambulance, KB Ambulance, KB Ambulance’s QV Medic, Canterbury Ambulance, Scotland Ambulance, Moosup Ambulance, American Ambulance Paramedic, Windham Hospital Paramedic, Hartford Healthcare LIFE STAR, and the Connecticut State Police.
*Updated following the press release from the Connecticut State Police.