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Collision sends one to ICU
A car collision at about 8pm Monday night across the Shell gas station in Puerto Rico, Saipan, left one person fighting for his life and two others with minor injuries.
According to Department of Public Safety spokesperson Dre Pangelinan, there were three individuals involved in the car accident.
A source told Saipan Tribune that the person who sustained major injuries is male while the two with minor injuries are female.
The two females reportedly sustained minor injuries while the male remains in critical condition at the intensive care unit of the Commonwealth Health Center. The man was confirmed alive as of 3:34pm press time yesterday.
A Saipan Tribune source said that, after the man was rushed to CHC, he was brought into the operating room for emergency surgery at about 9:30pm and remained in surgery for four hours due to the severity of his injuries.
Shell surveillance footage that was leaked on social media showed an SUV speeding through Puerto Rico just across Shell at 7:59pm as a sedan turned slowly into the gas station. The SUV collided with the passenger side of the sedan, sending it flying backwards as the SUV continued forward before hitting a nearby power pole.
Commonwealth Utility Corp. linemen were called to the scene to ensure that the power pole did not fall over, preventing a possible power outage in the area or affecting other connected power poles. Four police vehicles were dispatched to the scene, along with two Emergency Medical Service ambulances and tow trucks.
According to a lineman who was at the scene Monday evening and early yesterday morning, they are sure the SUV collided with the power pole with great force because it caused the sturdy pole to crack at its base, nearly knocking it over completely.
CUC had to return in the morning to secure the impacted pole’s base and adjust the connected power poles in the area because the force of impact also affected the main pole across Shell.
DPS has yet to release additional information on the incident.
