To Whom it may Concern;

On June 10th 2005 Drummond Towing of Drummond Montana was responding to a USAC call south of Drummond, About mile post 37 my scanner went off about a car/truck accident just a few miles ahead of me at the intersection of Skalkaho Rd. and Montana 1. As I rounded the curve and looked up the straight a way I could see some vehicles in the middle of the road, as I drove closer I could see a Fed Ex Van in the ditch on the right side of the road and a Dodge mini van with major front end damage cross ways in the road. People were climbing out of the mini van, and smoke and steam was pouring off the exposed engine.

I parked short of the van with my Emergency lights running, and called the Granite Co. 911, who was Dispatching the call, and told them the location was 3 miles closer to Philipsburg than reported and at the same time I was asking the driver of the mini van who was pinned by the dash and steering wheel how he was doing and if I could help in any way. He requested that we (some other people that had stopped to help and myself) to find a jack and try and get the van off of his legs.

Accessing the damage and torn metal I could see that would be next to impossible to do without the Jaws of Life, I was still on the phone with the dispatcher at the time, so I requested that they send the Jaws with the Ambulance.

I then started thinking I have just the tool he needs on my flat bed, the SP8000 side puller. I pulled my truck up in front of the mini van, there was just enough room in front of the van and the ditch to the right of me to fit my truck, I lined my stiff leg of the SP8000 with what I thought the center of the pull would be so the vans bumper (what was left of it anyway) would center on the stiff leg of the puller when I winched the right front pillar toward my truck. I put the removable shive in the side puller and routed the wire rope thru it and down to the chain on the pillar of the mini van. I was still a little concerned that the van could catch fire as bad as it was smoking but I noticed the battery was smashed in the road lying next to the van. so I was pretty confident that the fuel would not be a problem.

I stood next to the victim so I could tell if I was doing a good thing or not. I used my Lodar remote control to start the winching and just as planned the dash and steering wheel started to come up off of him.

The Ambulance crew arrived about that time and I let them know that I could remove the debris without the jaws of life, the victim said I was doing good things that the pressure was coming off his legs, I held pressure on the pillar until it was clear of his legs, The Ambulance crew and the sheriff and 2 deputies took over from there, I went around to the rear of the van and removed the personal property and rear seat so the Ambulance crew could remove him and the backboard straight out of the back of the van.

He was life flighted to Missoula where he was taken to surgery for broken legs and massive internal injuries which might have killed him if quick action wasn’t employed to free him. The mans parents, the Sheriffs office and the Ambulance crew was very appreciative of my being in the right place at the right time with the right equipment. I gained new respect for a piece of equipment that cost a little more, but has paid for itself time and time again.

Sincerely,

                        Bill Wise
                        Drummond Towing