10/03/09

The Columbia County Sheriff's Department is investigating a four vehicle AAPI that occured on Route 66 in the Town of Ghent. The accident occured in front of the St. James Cemetery just north of County Route 9(Arnolds Mills Rd).

Columbia County 911 dispatched Chatham Rescue, Ghent Fire Department and under automatic mutual aid, Chatham Fire Department with extrication equipment at 15:38.
 
Chatham Rescue EMS Command requested a helicopter, that was already on standby, to respond. The landing zone was first requested to be at the Columbia County Fairgrounds but was quickly changed to the rear of the St. James Cemetery.
 
EMS Command then declared an MCI with seven patients and requested ambulances from Philmont, Greenport and Valatie.

Chatham Rescue had two ambulances and their fly car on the scene. Greenport Rescue responded with four ambulances and Philmont and Valatie each responded with one.
 
Five patients were transported to CMH in Hudson. Two patients were transported to Albany Medical Center, one via the helicopter, LifeNet 71.
 
It was reported to ColumbiaPage that all vehicles were headed south on Route 66 when the lead vehicle was going to make a left turn into the entrance of Brook Cove Marine. A flatbed truck struck the third car in line causing a domino effect accident.

The New York State Police and the EMS Coordinators Office were on the scene.

Route 66 was closed between Slate Hill Road and Route 9(Arnolds Mills Road) during the incident.

Ghent Fire units were back in service at 17:50.