Tractor-Trailer vs. Car - Newburgh-Beacon Bridge at the Toll Plaza - City of Beacon FD. - July 1985 - HEAVY Entrapment

[Guest Photounit]

These photo's were taken in July of 1985 and are of an auto accident that occurred on Interstate 84 at the toll plaza of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in the City of Beacon N.Y. I was awakened at approximately 1:00 am on a warm July morning by a phone call from the New York State Police requesting that I respond with my photography equipment to a serious accident at the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge toll plaza. When I arrived at the scene, I could not believe what I saw....... A tractor-trailer had driven over a car containing I believe five young women completely destroying their car and leaving them all heavily entangled in what was left of their vehicle. I was greeted by several troopers all of who asked me to document the scene and offered to help me in any way I needed. I also had help from the City of Beacon Fire Department and Chief Steve VanBuren who allowed me to get into some elevated positions to get some unique images. The City of Beacon Fire Department operated with the assistance of the Chelsea and Rombout Fire Departments and the EMS was handled by the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps with assistance from Sloper-Willen and Mobile Life Support Ambulance. These are some of the photo's that I took of the incident and are digital scans from slides...... I believe all the women were released from the hospital within several days after the incident - An incredible accident with an equally incredible outcome........ If anybody has any more details they would like to add or correct, please let me know..... Thanks....Bill

Firefighters work to free the women from the twisted wreckage......

The rear half of the car was still under the trailer making removal of the last woman particularly challenging.....

An elevated shot of the scene. The car was over the barrier designed to protect the toll booth attendant .....I wonder what thoughts were going through the attendants head as this happened.......

EMS workers wait for the last victim to be freed......

There were several charged hose lines in place and foam was initially applied due to a small fuel leak from the tractors saddle tank.....

This is it for now......... I'll post more later....Enjoy......

[DOC22 1]

Awesome shots, Bill!!! Thanks for sharing. It's amazing how a car that badly mangled everybody lived to talk about it, but then others with hardly any damage and the results are tragic.

[RWC130 594]

WOW!!!

[x129K 1,393]

Nice shots...amazing wreck.

I miss the old 3/4 boots!

[helicopper 1,050]

Nice shots...amazing wreck.

I miss the old 3/4 boots!

Yeah, and the guy wearing SHORTS (hopefully) with them! Try that today!

[tdc202 0]

Bill I remember that the most serious injury was one of the girls in the back seat with a broken arm. I believe that they were on the way home from a concert at the Orange County fairgrounds and cut the truck off to get into the toll booth first.

Edited January 30, 2008 by tdc202

[EJS1810 7]

I believe she is the daughter of a retired Carmel PD Officer who was working at the time of the crash. He made amazing time from Carmel to the scene

[tdc202 0]

I couldn't imagine being at work and getting a phone call like that and then arriving and seeing that mess. I'd make sure my daughter went to church every week to thank God for helping her stay safe through all of that

[x635 4,066]

WOW! Great photos Bill!

[Guest Photounit]

Thanks guy's ........ I agree about going to church....... Somebody was surely watching over them........Here are a few more....... If I remember correctly, the first four women were extricated fairly quickly (And prior to my arrival) and the last was a real challenge. Again if I remember correctly her arm was pinned on the rear deck...... I remember someone saying that " We pulled one out and then another, and another....... Thinking there were only four...... And then they found the fifth.....The Rombout FD had just taken delivery of some new technology that no other local department had yet - Air bags..... They had recently received them and they had just began their training and they were officially not in-service yet..... That was until this accident.......

Rescuers work to free the fifth woman...... This image was taken from atop the toll plaza.....

The Rombout Fire Department used their newly acquired air bags for the first time at this incident to lift the trailer off the vehicle.

Air bags in place, A Rombout firefighter signals to inflate the bags......

Another shot showing how badly the vehicle was mangled......

The extrication continues...... There was definitely not a shortage of personnel.....

Edited January 31, 2008 by Photounit

[Guest]

Awesome shots and thats incredible that they were released a couple days after. They are some lucky ladies. WOW

[rfdu39 89]

WOW the girls are lucky to have survived.

[JBE 328]

What's even more incredible..look at the toll!!!

[JetPhoto 626]

I remember hearing that call. I recognize some of them, my uncle is in one shot.

Great shots Bill, thanks for posting

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

50 cents as a toll.....

its like 5 bucks now just to get over a PA bridge

This is blast from the past and one hell of an accident

Its kinda cool to see some of the tools I take for granted now like lift bags were a real luxury 20 years ago

[tdc202 0]

Jet you probably know more than a fair share of the responders in the picture. I saw my brother in one. I also remember this was why Beacon got a set of air bags and formed there Rescue Company. Beacon also only had a set of spreaders from Hurst that they purchased in 1977 and were kept on engine 1(33-11) until 1987 when they took purchase of their first Heavy Rescue(33-55).