MELROSE, NY - On July 4th at 1:39 P.M., the Melrose Fire Department along with the Hoosic Valley Rescue Squad responded to Northline Drive and Route 40 for multiple calls for a reported head-on accident with rollover and the vehicle reported to be on fire with entrapment. Multiple law enforcement officers began to race to the scene. As the ambulance was responding to the scene, the dispatcher notified them that there was somebody possibly trapped underneath the vehicle that was rolled over, and the ambulance requested the helicopter to be placed on standby. As the dispatcher received additional information, multiple ambulances were requested to the scene from the Hoosic Valley Rescue Squad.

The first arriving chief on scene requested the Schaghticoke Fire Department to shut down Route 40 in the area of Bracken Road, and the Speigletown Fire Department to shut down Northline Drive near the accident. One of Albany Medical Center's doctors MD 388 came on the air and called himself en route to the scene. Command requested the helicopter to the scene as they had confirmed heavy entrapment inside of the vehicle. Command requested the Hoosic Valley Fire Company to the scene with the jaws. Firefighters arrived on scene and immediately began to set up stabilization on the vehicle that was flipped onto its roof with heavy entrapment on the passenger side. As the rescue 42 struts were in place, the Hoosic Valley Fire Company arrived on the scene and firefighters deployed a one-and-three-quarter-inch hand line to the front of the vehicle and their extrication equipment.

Pittstown Ambulance was requested to the scene for mutual aid. As firefighters began to work to cut the victim out of the vehicle, they learned that the foot of the victim was heavily entrapped between the floorboard and the motor of the vehicle. Paramedics inside the vehicle applied a tourniquet to the patient and a significant amount of blood began to pour down the victim's leg. As firefighters were cutting the vehicle, LifeNet 7-1 began to circle the scene above and landed in the town hall field. As firefighters were cutting the patient out, EMTs worked on the other patients from the other vehicle. Albany meds medical doctor that was on scene assisted with patient care.

Firefighters were able to cut the door off of the vehicle and make a small purchase point to spread the sheet metal away from the patient's foot that was entrapped. Firefighters were able to remove the trapped individual from the vehicle and transported them to the nearby ambulance where they began to stabilize the individual. Paramedics made their way over to the helicopter and transferred the patient to the flight nurse where they were transported to Albany Medical Center. The other individuals involved in the accident were transported to the hospital. Firefighters on the scene began to clean up the accident and clear the roadway of the debris. The Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police were both on the scene of the incident. Firefighters were able to get the roadway cleared in about one hour from the incident. The cause of the accident remains unknown. All occupants in the vehicles survived with multiple levels of injuries.