Traffic Accident @ Hamill and Hwy 153

[Chattanooga Police]

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

An accident at Highway 153 and Hamill Road last night sent 5 people to the hospital with an array of injuries. According to witnesses, a White Cadillac travelling southbound on 153 collided with another vehicle in the northbound lane at Hamill Road . The vehicle continued southbound against traffic where it careened into street markers, roadside business displays, and a pole finally coming to rest against the northbound guardrail at Hwy 153 and DuPont Parkway . The occupants of the Cadillac were transported to Erlanger with serious injuries.

The occupants of the vehicle struck at Hamill Road , one of which was a small child, were also transported to Erlanger with unknown injuries. Traffic in both directions was temporarily stopped to extract and transport all of the victims. Due to the heavy damage and debris left in the wake of the accident, traffic northbound on hwy 153 had to be rerouted back to Access Road

Traffic investigators are not clear what set off the chain of events that resulted in the accident but a witness reported that the vehicle slammed into several objects at a very high rate of speed and continued to accelerate until stopping against the guardrail. An update on this accident will be given as soon as information can be obtained.

Sergeant Jerri S. Weary
Public Information Officer
Chattanooga Police Department

[rstewart]

At least they didn't have to go far to get to the hospital!

[Copperhead]

Apr 29, 2009 7:43:43 GMT -5 rstewart said:

At least they didn't have to go far to get to the hospital!

But they weren't sent to the closest hospital (Memorial North Park). They were brought to Erlanger's regional trauma center, some 7 miles from the scene of the accident.

[cadillacdude1975]

i was in a wreck 20 years ago on Hwy 58 across from the Wendy's. i was banged up with a concussion, but i asked what hospital they were taking me too. Erlanger was were they were headed, but i had to raise a lot of hell with them to take me to North Park as both my parents worked there and were there at the time of the accident. i made the driver radio the hospital to tell them i was in a wreck but i was ok so mom and dad wouldn't shit a brick when the phone rang to tell them i was in the ER in a neck brace.

my guess is Erlanger gets all trauma. period.

[rstewart]

Apr 29, 2009 11:52:20 GMT -5 Copperhead said:

Apr 29, 2009 7:43:43 GMT -5 rstewart said:

At least they didn't have to go far to get to the hospital!

But they weren't sent to the closest hospital (Memorial North Park). They were brought to Erlanger's regional trauma center, some 7 miles from the scene of the accident.

Maybe they don't like Catholics??

[HonorH957]

If I remember correctly from my parents' accident, EMS protocol for this accident, given the severity of injuries and method of injury dictated that Erlanger be used as it is the area's trauma center.

[professorx]

Apr 29, 2009 13:20:20 GMT -5 HonorH957 said:

If I remember correctly from my parents' accident, EMS protocol for this accident, given the severity of injuries and method of injury dictated that Erlanger be used as it is the area's trauma center.

Erlanger is the only designated trauma center in this region, and it is a level 1 trauma center. The next closest are in Knoxville (UT) or Atlanta (Grady).

If you are seriously F'ed up, obviously you want a trauma center.

[Ringleman#5]

And only a couple of weeks ago, nearby, my kid manages to hit a police cruiser.

[augie47]

Apr 30, 2009 5:46:15 GMT -5 Ringleman#5 said:

And only a couple of weeks ago, nearby, my kid manages to hit a police cruiser.

wednesday's accident was attributed to the driver's "medical condition"..... maybe your son could use the same reasoning
(police cruisers might make him ill, etc)

[emerson biggens]

ambulances must get permission from the trauma center to divert transport of a trauma patient to any place but erlanger hospital. the patient really has no choice unless erlanger oks it.