Icy Sunday in West Friendship
 
By Fire Fighter/EMT Pieter Lucas
February 4, 2018
 

Intermittent snow and freezing rain in the West Friendship area kept WFVFD members busy responding to vehicle collisions on I-70 and other area roads throughout the day and night.
At 21:41 Ambulance 36 was alerted along with Engine 82 for a vehicle off the road on Route 40 at Turf Valley Road. A passenger vehicle spun out but there were no injuries.
At 22:51 the station was alerted for a reported collision on I-70 near Route 97 involving a tractor trailer and a passenger car. Upon arrival Ambulance 36 located two vehicles in the median, a dry bulk tanker truck and an SUV. The SUV was pinned underneath the trailer but fortunately all occupants were able to self extricate. Units evaluated five patients, none of whom required transport. HCDFRS Special Ops and the Maryland Department of the Environment's Emergency Response Division were requested to mitigate fuel leaking from the truck's saddle tanks. Units cleared at 00:37 while Maryland State Police kept I-70 shut down to remove the vehicles from the median.
Engine 31 and Paramedic 35 then responded to Forsythe Road near Old Frederick Road at 23:18 for a report of a van in a ditch. Units located the vehicle but there were no injuries and the driver had arranged for his own tow truck.
At 03:18 units were again alerted to I-70, this time near Route 32 for a report of a collision involving two tractor trailers that were on fire. Upon arrival units found a car carrier trailer overturned in the median and a tractor trailer that was fully loaded with pineapples on the westbound slow shoulder. The car carrier's cab had separated from the trailer and was on the slow shoulder fully involved. Engine 31 and Tanker 3 began extinguishing the fire while Paramedic 35 and Ambulance 36 evaluated two patients, one of whom was transported to Howard County General Hospital. HCDFRS Special Operations and the MDE were again requested to pump off fuel from the saddle tanks of both trucks and to mitigate ground contamination. Chief 3A held the command and units cleared at 06:38. Westbound I-70 remained closed for several hours as Maryland State Police diverted traffic to Route 32.

 
Units: Engine 31, Tower 3, Tanker 3, Paramedic 35, Ambulance 36, Chief 3A