On November 2, 2024, a critical roadside crash on I-87 (Northway) in Colonie highlighted both the extreme hazards highway responders face and the lifesaving impact of advanced post-crash care protocols.
The Incident and Prehospital Response
A New York State Trooper and a local tow truck operator were struck by an impaired driver while conducting a traffic stop and tow operation near the Exit 6–7 off-ramp. Colonie EMS clinicians responded rapidly, joined by Dr. Warren Hayashi, an Albany Medical Center emergency medicine physician, Colonie EMS Associate Medical Director, and paramedic. Upon arrival, responders found the Trooper suffering from severe, multisystem trauma with deteriorating vital signs.
To stabilize the patient at the point of injury:
- Field Physician Integration: Dr. Hayashi responded directly to the scene to assist Colonie EMS with complex trauma resuscitation.
- Emergency Blood Delivery: Recognizing impending hemorrhagic shock, coordination with the Albany Medical Center Emergency Department allowed for the rapid deployment of blood products directly to the incident.
- En-Route Transfusion: Blood was administered inside the Colonie EMS ambulance while en route to Albany Medical Center (a Level 1 Trauma Center), resulting in immediate hemodynamic support before reaching the trauma bay.
This real-world event directly illustrates the vital pillars of Colonie EMS’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) FY'23 project, which focuses on the USDOT Safe System Approach to improve roadside safety and post-crash care outcomes:
- Point-of-Injury Resuscitation: Highlights the clinical value of getting blood to crash victims immediately, a key focus area for regional trauma survival.
- Multi-Responder Protection: Reaffirms the critical necessity of physical, technological, and procedural protections, such as reinforcing the Slow Down, Move Over law, for all personnel operating on high-speed interstates, including EMS, law enforcement, and towing professionals.
- System Integration: Serves as a model for seamless coordination between municipal EMS, field-deployed trauma physicians, and regional trauma centers.
Vehicles struck and killed 44 emergency responders who were working various types of roadway incidents in 2019 according to data collected by the Emergency Responder Safety Institute. ERSI has been tracking responder struck by incidents and encouraging the accurate reporting of them through their website.
For more information on this incident and the lifesaving clinical coordination involved, read the full case overview from Albany Medical Center: Early Intervention Helps State Trooper Struck on Highway Recover.