Driver extricated, transported by Flight for Life after crashing into tree in Mequon

MEQUON -- A driver was taken to the hospital by Flight for Life after a crash in Mequon Friday morning, Oct. 4.

It happened around 10:15 a.m. on Farmdale Road near Mequon Road.

Officials with the Mequon Fire Department said the driver of a wheelchair transport van ended up trapped in the vehicle after the van struck a tree. Fire officials described this as "a severe high-speed" crash.

The driver was the only occupant, and fire officials said the driver was "barely viable within the wreckage."

Crash on Farmdale Road in Mequon (PHOTO: Mequon Fire Department)



Crash on Farmdale Road in Mequon (PHOTO: Mequon Fire Department)



Hydraulic extrication equipment was utilized to remove the vehicle from around the driver. Once the door was removed, officials were better able to assess the severity of the driver's injuries and to quickly apply a life-saving tourniquet to control severe bleeding the driver was experiencing. Fire officials said this action, occurring while the driver was still pinned in the vehicle, "likely saved the driver's life."

It took nearly 40 minutes to carefully extricate the driver, who was then taken to the hospital by Flight for Life.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.