PLEASANT PRAIRIE FIRE & RESCUE RESPONDS TO MULTIPLE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
On Monday, March 23 at 7:28 AM, Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue and Pleasant Prairie Police were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident in the 2900 block of Springbrook Road. A Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue Paramedic unit transported one injured party to Aurora Medical Center, and one additional subject on-scene denied being injured.
At 7:32 AM, Fire & Rescue and Police were dispatched to a separate motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Green Bay Road and Springbrook Road. An initial report received from OnStar Emergency indicated that a car was upside down, in water, with air bags deployed and personal injury. OnStar also indicated that contact had been lost with the occupant. As a result of the report, the Kenosha County Specialized Response Teams – Dive Team was requested to the scene as well. Upon arrival, public safety personnel located the sole occupant of the vehicle who had been able to safely exit the vehicle prior to the arrival of emergency personnel. A total of three vehicles were involved in the accident; none of the occupants required transportation to a hospital for further care.
At 7:38 AM, Fire & Rescue and Police were again dispatched for the report of an accident in the 12500 block of 39th Avenue that involved a yellow bus and two automobiles. There were no children on the yellow bus, and the driver was not transported. The bus was located in a ditch, while the two automobiles sustained significant damage including air bag deployment in one. Because of the number of Fire & Rescue units already committed to the two other motor vehicle accidents, the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was used to request additional resources to the scene. A total of three people were transported to United Hospital System – Kenosha Campus by paramedic units.
As a result of the simultaneous incidents, the report of serious implications including a car in the water with injuries, and a school bus with multiple injuries, several Fire & Rescue agencies provided assistance, including: Beach Park, Bristol, Kenosha, Lake Villa, Newport, Randall, Somers, Town of Salem, Union Grove, Wheatland, Winthrop Harbor, and Zion.
Because each of these particular accidents was preventable, Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue strongly suggests that motorists take weather conditions into consideration while driving. The department recommends that, while driving in snow, motorists slow down, allow a greater distance between vehicles, and recognize that stopping distances are much longer in slippery road conditions. Drivers of four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles are reminded that while their vehicle may have better traction to accelerate, they may also need more stopping distance than an average vehicle due to the increased weight of the vehicle. Please slow down and drive carefully, especially in bad weather.