On August 21, 2001, the Spencer Fire Department was dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving one vehicle with five occupants.  Three of the occupants escaped the vehicle with minor injuries, a fourth with multiple fractured vertebrae.  The fifth occupant, a 16 year old boy was still in the vehicle.

The vehicle was a Chevy Blazer. The driver lost control on a gravel road and went down over an embankment where it struck several tree stumps and trees while upside down. It ended up resting on its roof between several trees.

A paramedic was able to reach the vehicle and determine that the patient had not survived the traumatic event.  The Res-Q-Jack™ equipment was immediately deployed using the universal roof resting technique. It was set up using a jack stand on one side to permit the ability to relieve pressure on the crushed metal in the event is was necessary to free the patient.  Unfortunately, at this point the only purpose of stabilization was to prevent firefighter injury during recovery.  The condition of the vehicle would have made stabilization using any conventional technique virtually impossible.

Without a doubt, a sad day in a small community.