Churubusco fire units responded with paramedics from the Samaritan helicopter twice in one day on Thursday when two separate accidents sent a male and a female to the hospital in critical and serious condition respectively.
The first incident occurred at 12:35 in the afternoon when a single car hit a cement barrier on Duglay at McDuffee Rd. A shorthanded crew from Churubusco arrived to find the man in critical condition and pinned, while the car dangled approximately 10ft off the ground. Huntertown rescue units were called in to assist with manpower and the extrication. The man was flown to Parkview Memorial hospital via Samaritan helicopter in critical condition.

Approximately 2 hours later, Arcola fire units were sent to U.S. 33 between O’Day and Johnson Road’s reference a head-on collision. Fire 201 from Churubusco happened to be on U.S. and nearby and responded. He arrived to find a pickup truck had collided head-on with a small passenger car.

Due to the nature of the incident, Fire 201 advised Arcola’s chief that he might want to get another rescue unit responding. Churubusco firefighters were now on their way to the second critical accident in two hours.

A female from the pickup truck appeared to be ejected onto the hood of the truck, but it was later discovered she crawled onto the hood. A male in the passenger car was pronounced dead at the scene.

At the moment of the crash, the female’s pickup somehow rode up on a guard railing along the edge of the road and firefighters had to battle an unstable vehicle for a minute to ensure she was stabilized. From there paramedics and firefighters climbed to her via step ladders, balancing on the guard rail or sitting atop the roof of the truck. She was transported to an area hospital in critical condition also via Samaritan helicopter.