New Year’s Brush with Death

A Carmel firefighter climbs out of the rear window of the demolished wreck as a member of the Carmel VAC administers to the injured youth inside the crushed vehicle. A Carmel youth has a lot to be thankful for in the New Year following a brush with death hours before the ball fell in Times Square.

Kent Police said Anthony Ortiz, 19, a student at Carmel High School, was behind the wheel of his allegedly speeding Honda that went out of control on Route 301 west of the Carmel-Kent town line, spun out of control, careened down an embankment and plummeted into a tree broadside with such force that both airbags deployed.

Ortiz was pinned in his demolished wreck. Carmel Police received the initial report of a “serious” crash and officers responded along with members of the Carmel Fire Department under the command of Chief Mark Earle and Assistant Chief Robert Lipton, Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and a paramedic from the TransCare Ambulance Company. When emergency responders realized the crash had taken place in Kent, members of the Kent Police Department and Kent Fire Department also responded.

Ortiz was extricated 20 minutes later and was carried up a steep incline before being transported to Danbury Hospital, where he was admitted. Detective Kevin Owens of the Kent PD told the Courier Ortiz’s injuries were not life threatening: “The young man was wearing a seatbelt, which probably saved his life.”

Also assisting at the scene were members of the Carmel FD Fire Police Team, Putnam Deputy Emergency Coordinator Douglas Casey, and a representative of the Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services. Police issued no summons pending completion of the accident investigation by Officer Thomas Carroll.