After the car went airborne it landed on its side on the hillside.
PHILIPSBURG--A man and woman took the short route from Philipsburg across Cole Bay Hill early Tuesday morning, driving up the steep Old Cake House Road, which meanders over the hill. Going down on the other side, the driver did not succeed in making the sharp left turn, instead drove straight off the road.
The couple’s car went airborne and landed in the dense bushes on the hillside. When the vehicle hit the rocks and trees, both occupants banged their heads against the wind-shield and their legs hit the dashboard. They were injured and in shock.
Central Dispatch of St. Maarten Police Force KPSM was notified around 7:40am. A police patrol, an ambulance and a fire-truck rushed to the scene. Firefighters descended the hill using ropes and lowered a stretcher. They found the couple outside of the car, which had landed on its side.
Firefighter-on-call William York explained that the woman, despite injuries to her face and limbs, had managed to climb out of the car and had succeeded in helping the man get out of the car. “His injuries were more serious, he was drifting in and out of consciousness,” said York. “We focused on getting him onto the rescue stretcher first."
While firefighters pulled the victim up the hill, paramedics were on hand to provide first aid. The firefighters then lowered the stretcher back down to where the woman was waiting, some 40 feet below the embankment.
The couple was transported to the nearby St. Maarten Medical Center for comprehensive medical assessment and treatment.
The KPSM Traffic Department has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
