Civilians Rescued from Vehicle vs. House Collision

Tour Commander, 509.625.7100

Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 11:38 a.m.

At approximately 11:56 PM, January 23, 2023, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) responded to the 7100 Block of North Fleming Street to a 911 report of a collision involving a vehicle. Firefighters arrived within three minutes and found a badly deformed full-size crew cab pick-up truck lodged inside a split-level residential home. An unconscious adult male passenger was trapped under the dashboard and steering column, necessitating rapid extrication. The incident was subsequently upgraded to an extrication response due to the complexity of the technical rescue, which added several other fire companies.

The vehicle appeared to have been traveling at high speed and crashed through a tree and a parked car before coming to rest inside a residential home. Spokane Police had the road blocked off and a perimeter established upon arrival, greatly assisting incoming firefighters in gaining access to the vehicle. Within minutes of arrival, firefighters provided advanced medical care inside the car while others successfully used extrication tools to remove the vehicle and building from the patient. The total time of extrication was 35 minutes.

The vehicle breached the split-level house over the top of a basement bedroom. A female was asleep in a bed where the car came to rest. The female was also taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries sustained from the crash.