So, I was home watching college football today when CRASH!  I look out and there's an overturned car on the West Side Highway next to my apartment.

NYPD sector car shows up in about 5 minutes - FDNY Rescue 1 about a minute later - then comes more NYPD cars (including the anti-crime taxi), FDNY Ladders 35 and 20 and Engine 40, then ESU Truck 2 and Adam? Boy? 1?2? and a few other miscellaneous vehicles (battalion chief, EMS supervisor).  And of course from the EMS side there was NYC EMS, St. Lukes and St. Clares (now known as St. Vincent Midtown).

Rescue 1 was the first rescue on the scene, they cribbed the vehicle and proceeded to peel the roof open with the tool.  1 aided female was extracted - not likely - she actually looked OK (not too bloody, and EMS wasn't rushing her out of there) - FDNY packed up and left ESU to do the dirty work of flipping the car back over.  It took ESU and the tow driver about 30 minutes to right the car - no matter how much they cribbed the side of the car, including driving a halligan tool under the car with a sledgehammer as a wedge - it would not flip, only drag.  Once the car was finally flipped I saw it was a Mitsubishi something or other.  As to what caused the accident?  No idea.  No other vehicles involved.

Link to high res photo is here (dial up warning: big image 1.02 megs).  Note the photo was taken early on, before ESU arrived.



Updated 10/11/04 to add: OK, this stretch of roadway is cursed.  Another overturned vehicle, almost in the exact same spot tonight.  Sorry for the poor photo, I don't have a good tripod.



Link to high res photo is here.

Thanks for the picture and story. Remember the 2nd or 3rd episode of the ABC miniseries 'NYPD 24-7'?  In one of those episodes the ESU Lt. makes a statement about how there was a 2 car accident and ESU was left to extract the person out of the vehicle who was more seriously injured and the car was more crumpled (ESU worked on the more crumpled vehicle). FD just cut the door off of the other vehicle to get the guy out and packed their stuff and took off. I'd figure who gets there first works on the more mangled car or more seriously injured person. Hehe I'll leave the rest for everyone to decide...

Were those people fishing in the background while all this was going on?

Quoted: Were those people fishing in the background while all this was going on?

LOL - those are the remnants of old piers used to unload railroad cars.  Plus, even if they were people, the highway is maybe 40' above ground level so they wouldn't have seen anything.

Are you in the Trump Buildings?  We been working on those for the last 2 years, nice view.

I'm next door to Trump in West End Towers

F'ing shame...

not a FDNY bus in sight, they're giving the city away.

Nice camera how many Nude Photos of women you get peering into windows with it?

Yes SHERM and what is even worse is the Command Car is a EMS Supervisor. I could make out the EMS sign on the top of the vehicle. MOst likely said FDNY/EMS not needed. Going to ask it happened on the 25th about 1700hrs?

Tell the truth, you really live in the smokestack of the ConEd plant on 59th street right?
Balzac72 we miss you!!!

btt with new photo

Quoted: I think there is something distracting the drivers as they approach that spot....Phil, you aren't still dancing naked on your patio, are ya?

Actually, yes I am.  Kind of freaky that you said that.  When you have a 39th floor apartment with no nearby neighbors, you don't think twice before walking outside on the terrance in the buff.  However, winter will put a damper on that activity.

Quoted: Quoted: I think there is something distracting the drivers as they approach that spot....Phil, you aren't still dancing naked on your patio, are ya? Actually, yes I am.  Kind of freaky that you said that.  When you have a 39th floor apartment with no nearby neighbors, you don't think twice before walking outside on the terrance in the buff.  However, winter will put a damper on that activity.

Nah, just get a space heater.  You should get somereally good pic once the snow and ice enter the scene.