Castroville VFD and DPS responded to the scene of a major accident this past Saturday, July 20 on FM 471 N.
It happened around 2:30 in the afternoon near Rio Medina. The two drivers were both injured, a woman in her late 30’s was driving the Honda Acura and a man in his late 40’s was driving the Ford Mustang. Both were transported to the hospital—one by ambulance and one by airlife. According to DPS, the Ford Mustang veered into the lane of oncoming traffic when the two vehicles collided.
“They are lucky to be alive, very lucky,” said Castroville Fire Chief Rick Lair. “The whole front end of the Mustang was torn off, and there was severe damage to the Accura as well, with most of the impact being on the driver’s side. We used our wireless combo tool to cut off the door of the Accura in order to get the driver out.”
Both drivers appeared to be in stable condition when they were transferred, but there is always concern about internal injuries, Chief Lair notes, having seen many tragic accidents over the years.
“Everybody on the road has to watch out—be careful,” Chief Lair adds, “Just last week, we assisted LaCoste VFD with an extrication in another major accident. Two people were airlifted in that accident. It’s seems like these accidents are happening more often.”
Our local volunteer fire departments are always in need of more volunteers to respond not only to fires, but also to accidents like these. Many times victims are trapped inside vehicles, and fire departments are the first responders who carry the Jaws of Life or similar life-saving tools needed to extricate drivers and passengers.
