Four Firefighters Struck At Road Traffic Collision

August 22, 2015

[Updated with video + statements. BFRS confirm that the person involved in the original collision was extracted from the vehicle using the 'jaws of life,' and four firefighters were struck by a motorist that was not involved in the initial collision. All four firefighters received medical attention at the hospital and were released.]

At sometime around 4.00am this morning [Aug 22] there was a collision in the Harrington Sound Road area which appears to have resulted in one person being injured.

Details are sketchy, however it appears the original collision involved just the car, however a motorcyclist then came through the area and apparently collided with the collision scene and emergency personnel. Further details are limited at this time, however we will update as able.

As of this writing [5.55am] the road remains blocked off.

Update 6.40am: A tow truck has removed the car, and the road has re-opened to traffic, and the Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service has confirmed that while attending to the collision scene, four firefighters were struck by a motorist that was not involved in the initial accident.

Update 7.35am: Video added below of tow truck removing the car.

Update 7.44am: A police spokesperson said, “Around 3:55am this morning [August 22nd 2015] first responders attended the scene of a single vehicle road traffic collision, which occurred along Harrington Sound Road Hamilton Parish near the junction with Wilkinson Avenue.

“It was reported that a man travelling in an easterly direction in his motorcar lost control of the vehicle and collided with a utility pole.

“While EMT’s from the BFRS were attempting to extract the man from the vehicle, another man on a motorcycle also travelling east came into contact with the motorcar involved in the initial collision.

“The motorcycle rider was uninjured however the man driving the car was transported to KEHM where at last check he was being treated for leg and hip injuries.”

Update 8.09am: Fire Service spokesperson Acting Lieutenant Jamal Albuoy said, “One male patient involved in the RTC was extricated from the vehicle with the use of our extrication equipment, commonly referred to as the ‘jaws of life’.

“While BFRS personnel were in the process of packaging the patient for transport to the hospital, two motorist not involved in the original accident struck our four personnel.

“Two Firefighters complained of neck and back pain, while the remaining two Firefighters sustained minor injuries; none of which is considered life threatening. The patient in the original accident was transported to the hospital via an ambulance from KEMH.

“All our personnel received medical attention at the hospital and were released. The rider of the motorcycle was dealt with by the Bermuda Police Service who was present at the scene.”

collision bda aug 22 2015 (1) collision bda aug 22 2015 (2)
unnamed accident aug 22 2015

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Category: Accidents and fires, All, News

Comments (32)

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  1. Vulcan Trash Cleaner says:

    speeding!

    • Hats of to the firefighters says:

      Praying for the Fire Service family as they just lost one. Thank you for helping to keep Bermuda safe

    • sage says:

      DUI!

  2. D says:

    Wow

  3. V says:

    There is a problem with drink driving here that needs to be tackled.

    • Toodle-oo says:

      Wow ! And here I was thinking I was pretty well informed and up to date but it looks like all the armchair experts on here have already seen the results of an as of yet un-discussed alco analyzer test .

      Were you all as quick to judge when you first read about the crash in Shelly Bay this morning that later turned out involve an 80 year old lady ?

      • old fart says:

        80 year olds aren’t out at 4am. Duh. Police won’t tell us, but it’s easy enough to surmise.

        • Toodle-oo says:

          And not everyone who has an accident after the sun goes down is drunk either .. Duh

          • old fart says:

            After the sun goes down, no. At 4am, I would gladly bet on alcohol being more likely than not.

  4. Jill says:

    Praying all persons involved are ok

  5. ImJustSayin says:

    How quick we are while not knowing all of the fact’s, the driver may have just fallen asleep, we don’t know yet now do we.

  6. I had to re- read this story because for a minute I thought this was a foreign story, in the line of duty first respondents being hit, really is this Bermuda.

    I am sure they could see the flashing lights from a distance as they approached the area, and if that is the case these people need to be dealt with severely.

  7. channing says:

    Praying for a better

  8. Educated says:

    Sad to hear this. I’m glad all persons are okay.

    **Not assuming/implying alcohol played any roll; this is just a random thought**
    There should be an extreme punishment for drunk driving. Like 6months imprisonment. No ifs ands or buts. No excuses. If you’re caught, you automatically know where you’re going. Something has to be put in place so that the slightest thought of drunk driving is discouraged. It’s time for us to stop waking up to these types of stories every weekend.

  9. TonyC says:

    I wonder if the motorcyclists were racing away from the ice-queen stabbing with the adrenaline still pumping?

  10. Anbu says:

    Prohibition sounds like a perfect fix but no we couldnt do that. Bermudians love to drink after all…..

    • thomas says:

      Prohibition of alcohol saw an decrease in alcohol sales (see below) and increased crime and illegal activity. Not sure if it would work any different now… Licensed saloons became illegal speakeasies, and many common citizens took advantage of the high sales price of illegal booze by secretly manufacturing booze in their own bathtubs.  That’s one of the major problems with all drug prohibitions — they greatly reduce the ability to make accurate judgments about the problem. There is no good way to count the number of illegal dealers, or the people who are secretly making gin in their own bathroom.
      People drank more but u can’t accurately count it….
      Marijuana is illegal but lots of people still smoke it, import it, sell it. U can only count the number u catch. Causes a lot of added work for law enforcement.

  11. Triangle Drifter says:

    Oh let us take a guess at why the firefighters got hit. Impatience.

    Bermuda drivers seem to think that when there is a road obstruction, for whatever reason, they should not be delayed on their chosen route & will attempt to blow on through.

    Must be that attitude or entitlement thing. The fact that them blowing through might injure those dealing with a crash or delay a crash victim getting to the hospital is of no importance to them.

  12. It’s the culture we’ll never change we love our boozing and driving too much!!’

  13. Delia says:

    The statement ‘nothing good happens after midnight” has rung true far too many times, even just last night was one small example of two terrible events, one a tragic death at 4:00 am. And we cannot have our valued first responders being injured by further drunk drivers!

    Premier Dunkley and Senator Baron, from a National Security perspective I can tell you that closing all bars and restaurants in Hamilton especially by 2 am sharp will be a good start. Most major U.S. Ciities close their bars and restaurants by 2 am.. Personally and as a parent, I have heard of or experienced many horrible situations caused by drunk people so drunk that many are ‘black out’ drunk that end up getting themselves in scary situations, severely injured or worse….

    Please use this morning’s tragic events (along with all of the previous ones over the years) to finally enact a law that takes this seriously and close the source of the problem down: the liquor producing establishments / bars / restaurants!!! CLOSE them by or before 2 am and you will see dramatic improvements. Have police checks coming our of town EVERY Saturday night to get the drunks before they crash.. Isn’t this all just common sense?

  14. Family Man says:

    Everybody’s insurance premiums will be going up again next year to pay for these “accidents”.

  15. Amelia says:

    First off, praying for our brave first responders! This craziness is just getting worse and Bermuda, there is an answer.

    I’m calling on Premier Dunkely and Senator Jeff Baron to legislate a new law forcing all bars and restaurants to close by or before 2:00 am.. the old agage, nothing good happens after midnight could not be more true! We’ve had enough drinking and driving deaths and severe injury to prove that. Boston is just one example where all liquor serving establishments close at 2am. While it won’t stop all problems, it will lessen the problem as fewer people will be completely ‘black out’ drunk out of their minds!!

    and, 2nd solution: CLOSE ICE QUEEN at 11:00 pm!!! Unfortunately this is a very very common stop off for all drunk persons on their way home on Friday and Saturday night.

    These are EASY solutions guys! Just need to please implmement these new policies, even though they may not be meet with glee by the establishments. It has to be done to save Bermudian lives.

    • old fart says:

      Have you ever been to Boston at 2am? I doubt it. Boston has a lot of problems when all the bars empty at once – most notably that cabs become jammed at 2am so people drive home because they can’t get a cab.

      As for the Ice Queen, if not there, it would be somewhere else.

      Your solutions are not nearly as easy as you think. Unintended consequences, friend.

      • Amelia says:

        Actually I attended university in Boston so very familiar with the night life there (and not that long ago). Yes, getting a taxi in Boston can be a nightmare, especially at 2am although I prefer Uber and Lyft drivers anyway. What we used to do is stay closer to home/apartment/uni to avoid getting stuck and we could walk home if necessary. (1) You don’t mess around in Boston because the Boston police will take you down in a nano-second (like New York and many other big cities) if they see any drunk or disorderly conduct. (2) people don’t get as drunk and out of control when they all close at 2pm. Things are much more controlled. Plain and simple, I’ve lived both lives and can tell you what works. Closing off the bars here in Bermuda earlier will absolutely make it better. Closing Ice Queen earlier will keep drunk out of control crowds from congregating for junk food at the last place open in Bermuda. It’s simple and we need to make some changes or keep losing our younger generation.

        • old fart says:

          You were more responsible than most of the drinkers in Bean town then. My experience there is that people don’t always drink near home, taxis become unavailable from 1.45 onwards, and the result is anti-social behavior. Uber helps but doesn’t solve the problem (and we need Uber in Bermuda). If you know the bars close at 2am, you start drinking harder and earlier. It just moves the problem and concentrates it on a particular hour, when police can’t deal with it as easily. Knowing that Ice Queen is where the anti-socials congregate, it should be pretty easy to station a cop there to make drunk-driving arrests. And Bermuda’s night life is already pretty sleepy; closing it at 2am would not endear the island to visitors (some of them senior insurance buyers!) who like to hoot with the owls well into the wee hours.

  16. cfc_blu says:

    I too agree that the Ice Queen be closed at a specific time. 5am is too late for an establishment to close. With all the problems they’ve been having over the years, I’m surprised nothing has ever been done.

  17. cloud nine says:

    See DAT?…….don’t doooooo DAT!

  18. Really? says:

    So now Ice Queen is the problem? Do they serve liquor? An establishment that caters to the public should not be penalized for the actions of an unappreciative public. We want certain things in public, but we keep things hidden from the public view. Ice Queen is not the problem. Think on it.

  19. Gina says:

    I was there immediately after the accident and stayed until 4:30 to ensure this young man was OK – My assumption after I left at 4: 30 was that the police was NOT stationed on top of the hill to stop the flow coming around the corner – THAT was my concern from 3 am,when this first happened, I asked an older gentleman not to leave me there by myself for fear of just that! someone come around corner and slam into the accident,and hurt one of us so where were those 2 police officers to? I knew that was likely to happen. ( irritated to say the least- upset!!) ,

    • um just saying says:

      I heard the same thing, that the police were negligent in directing the flow of traffic for this accident. I also heard that the rider was not given a breath test, just ticketed and let go. BPS, I usually applaud your job, but somebody dropped the ball in this case.