Car Over the Side of Highway

September 18th, 2004
The Badlands, between Moreno Valley and Beaumont
2004-020

by Kirk Cloyd

Saturday night around 1900 three friends decided to take a company truck out for a little joy ride over the razorbacks in the badlands. Around 1930 the trio's truck slide over the edge of a razorback, fell approx. 200 feet and flipped. The driver was not seat belted in and was thrown from the truck. The two passengers hiked out to Gilman Hot Springs Rd. and contacted family and friends to help retrieve the driver and get him to a hospital. When they could not relocate the crash site, the CHP was contacted at 22:00 for a "non-injury" accident. The CHP and CDF arrived at 2230 and contacted STAR 91. STAR 91 used their night vision to locate the crash sight within five minutes. While the Paramedics made their way to the subject, STAR 91 requested RMRU. Dave Web and I met STAR 91 at Ryan Air Field. I drew the lucky straw and went up with the air ship. The hoist operator and I sat with our feet out the door so we could hold onto the Stokes litter so it would not hit the side of the helicopter. We flew across the valley and arrived over the scene where I was lowered with the Stokes litter to the ground. The Paramedics and I rolled the subject into the litter and he was hoisted to STAR 91. The air ship took the subject to Moreno Valley Hospital. I hiked out with the fire dept. over the razorbacks, rode in a fire engine to Gilman Hot Springs Rd. where an awaiting CHP cruiser transported me to the hospital. There I flew with STAR 91 back to Ryan Air Field. Talk about living a kids dream all in one night!