Two Vallejo firefighters were injured responding to a two-vehicle collision Wednesday morning in Vallejo that left two victims in critical condition.
Shortly after 8:30 a.m., a white two-door sedan struck a City Of Vallejo maintenance vehicle from behind. Vallejo firefighters, after extinguishing a nearby vegetation fire, were quickly on the scene.
Upon arrival, Engine 22 encountered the white Sedan already engulfed in flames with the driver trapped and unresponsive.
A Vallejo police officer used a fire extinguisher to control the spread of the fire before two firefighters began a rescue attempt on the person in the white Sedan.
“At the same time, we noticed that the victim in the car was incapacitated and unable to escape from the vehicle on his own,” said Vallejo firefighter and spokesperson Aaron Klauber. “Firefighters used the side window to pull the victim out.”
The victim “has a long way to go” in recovery according to Klauber, but was alive when delivered to a local trauma center. Klauber said the use of Tranexamic Acid, a breakthrough medication used to reduce uncontrolled bleeding in trauma patients, played a key role in saving the person. Firefighters also used a needle decompression to help save the person’s life.
The driver of the city of Vallejo’s maintenance vehicle was taken to a nearby hospital. Klauber said the incident had no fatalities as of 1 p.m. Wednesday. Vallejo police and public information officer Rashad Hollis confirmed that no deaths had occurred as of 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.
At the same time, two firefighters were dealing with injuries from the rescue operation. One firefighter had burns while the other suffered injuries due to a fall. Klauber said he expected both to be released from the hospital later Wednesday.
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