A 17-year-old girl fell from a tractor-trailer and was swept under the vehicle during the Harvest Days parade in Battle Ground Saturday, according to a news release from the city of Battle Ground.
The girl was conscious and speaking at the scene and was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries, according to the release. Her identity is not being released.
The incident occurred near the 200 block of North Parkway Avenue in Battle Ground.
Parade attendees alerted a Battle Ground police officer who was posted at a nearby parade route blockade. The officer immediately contacted dispatch to request medical assistance as he began to render aid to the girl. Medical personnel from Clark County Fire District 3 and American Medical Response arrived within minutes and took over, according to the release.
“I would like to commend the members of the public for jumping into action when they witnessed this tragic event,” said Chief Mike Fort. “Thanks to their swift action, and that of our officer and emergency medical personnel, the patient was able to receive care immediately.”
In the news release, the city of Battle Ground thanked the community for quickly clearing the parade route for responding medical personnel nearby businesses for assisting the investigators as they processed the scene.”Additionally, the city would like to recognize the Battle Ground Festivals Committee, for their decisive action in rerouting the parade which allowed first responders to respond to the emergency,” the release stated.
The Battle Ground Police Department is investigating this incident and is being assisted by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit and the Washington State Patrol. No additional information is available at this time.
