It was an unusual and alarming scene in Cornelia Tuesday as emergency crews worked to free a driver trapped inside a crushed pickup along North Main Street.
The man was trapped after the truck struck another vehicle, then a business, and rolled over a wall onto its top.
Witnesses called 911. Cornelia Police and Fire personnel along with Habersham County Emergency Services were dispatched to the scene.
HCES Director Chad Black says the way the truck came to a rest made extricating the driver difficult. He says the rescue was further complicated by gas from the vehicle’s tank pouring onto the ground where the driver was located. Cornelia firefighters used foam and charged hoses to guard against fire. It took emergency personnel thirty minutes to pull the man from the wreckage.
Once he was freed, Habersham EMS transported the driver to Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
“This was a difficult extrication with the position of the vehicle, access to the patient, and active fuel leak,” says Black, “but great team work by all agencies resulted in a successful outcome.”
Authorities have not released any information on the man’s condition. It’s also not clear what caused the accident. The Georgia State Patrol is investigating.
