Motor vehicle collisions keep emergency crews busy

A series of motor vehicle collisions greeted Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue crews beginning on Monday, August 22.

Just before 10:30 am., fire crews were dispatched to the intersection of Highway 160 and Carlton Street after a motorist driving northbound lost control of his Nissan Frontier pickup truck and struck multiple vehicles parked at the Carlotta Business Plaza.

Fire Chief Scott Lewis said the sole occupant was mechanically trapped inside the vehicle after it came to rest on the driver’s side door.

“The scene size-up revealed that the vehicle had also struck three unoccupied parked cars before flipping on to its side,” Lewis said. “Engine One went into service and extricated the patient via a windshield removal. That patient was transported to the local hospital.”

Roughly a half-dozen individuals gathered around the vehicle in an effort to prevent it from tipping over further.

Lewis noted that though the Samaritans’ intentions were good, he advised the action could also put others at risk of injury.

“That can easily put those folks at risk,” he said. “As soon as I walked up, which was part of my scene size-up, I put my hand on the car and felt that it was stable and we got them to a safe area. We placed step chocks underneath and finished up the stabilization of the vehicle. The overall extrication was completed in about four minutes.”

The young male driver of the vehicle was transported to Desert View Hospital with undisclosed injuries.

Less than two hours later on Monday, fire crews were summoned to the intersection of Basin Avenue and Dahlia Street where the driver of a late-model vehicle struck a Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue medic unit heading westbound on Basin.

“The ambulance had been en route to assist the Nye County Sheriff’s Office with level-one staging,” he said. “We found that a vehicle had attempted to make a left-hand turn off of Dahlia onto Basin Avenue and struck the passing ambulance. There were no injuries reported and the Nye County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.”

Just before 2 p.m. on Monday, Lewis said fire crews were dispatched to the area of Highway 160 and Bell Vista for a third motor vehicle collision.

“While en route to that destination, Engine One came upon an injury motor vehicle accident at Irene Street and Highway 160,” Lewis said. “They stopped at that scene while redirecting the additional resources to the initial Bell Vista call. Upon arrival, they found that call to be unfounded and then relocated to the Irene Street and Highway 160 accident call.”

Lewis said one person received injuries and was transported to Desert View Hospital.

Last week fire crews faced similar service calls.

On Tuesday, August 16th at 3 p.m., fire crews were dispatched to the area of Highway 95 at mile marker 22 for an injury motor vehicle accident.

“Upon arrival, fire crews found that there were injuries involved but the patients refused medical transport.”

Later last Tuesday, fire crews were dispatched to the Mountain Falls community for report of an injury motor vehicle collision.

“We were summoned to the intersection of Mountain Falls and Bella Sera and upon arrival, crews found several persons who sustained injuries, however only one was transported to Desert View Hospital.”

Fire crews also contended with several illegal burns throughout town, Lewis said.

“On Wednesday, August 17, at approximately 1:20 p.m., we were dispatched to U.S. Highway 95 at mile marker 5 in Nye County for a rubbish fire alongside the roadway,” Lewis said. “Upon arrival, crews determined there was no extensions or exposures and crews extinguished that fire without incident. It’s odd because the fire took place along the highway in the middle of nowhere. Nobody saw anything however.”

Last Friday fire crews were dispatched to BLM land along Gamebird Road just before 9 pm., Lewis said.

“Upon arrival, crews found a brush fire in a mesquite grove,” he said. “It appeared to have started by the use of a campfire. Cars and UTV’s were observed leaving the scene at the time. The NCSO as well as BLM law enforcement are investigating.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes