By Paula M. Felipe
Oroville Mercury Register (California)
Copyright 2006 Oroville Mercury Register
All Rights Reserved
A 19-year old Thermalito female suffered major injuries and extrication was necessary following a collision late Monday afternoon. The victim was life-flighted to Enloe Medical Center in Chico.
At about 4:50 p.m. a Ford F-250 truck driven by Steven Brown, 38, of Oroville was traveling 55 mph westbound on Olive Highway. As Brown approached the intersection of Kelly Ridge Road/Miner’s Ranch Road, Megan Coley, 19, of Thermalito, in a Mercury-Cougar, pulled out into the path of the oncoming truck.
“She (Coley) pulled out into the intersection in the path of the truck, and the driver of the truck hit the brakes, broadsiding her vehicle on the driver’s side and pushing it off the road,” said California Highway Patrol Officer M. Ticknor. Coley had been sitting at the stop sign at Kelly Ridge Road facing Olive Highway before pulling into the intersection, according to Ticknor.
Major extrication was required to free Coley from the vehicle, including taking off the roof of the vehicle, in order to lift her straight out while keeping her back straight, according to Captain Tony Brownell, who was in charge of the fire rescue personnel at scene.
Ticknor said Coley suffered major injuries and the truck’s driver sustained moderate injuries. Coley was taken by ground ambulance to a nearby open field about a quarter mile away that served as a landing zone for the Enloe FlightCare helicopter. As of press time Monday evening, Coley was listed in “Fair Condition,” according to an Enloe Medical Center spokesperson.
Paramedics from two ground ambulances, firefighters from Engine 64 in Kelly Ridge, Engineer Ryan Hemstalk and Firefighter Dan Barnes along with volunteers Dave Casagrande and Kristine Read worked together with firefighters from Bangor’s Engine 55 to conduct the extrication and rescue of Coley.
ABC Nicks Pioneer Towing was called to the scene to haul away the damaged truck, and Brower’s Towing was called to haul off the Mercury Cougar while CHP officers were measuring tire marks and investigating the crash scene.