By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
POOLETOWN — A 16-year-old boy was airlifted to a Winston-Salem hospital Monday afternoon after the tongue of a trailer loaded with gravel pinned his left leg to the ground.
The teenager’s name and condition were not available Monday.
Wake Forest University Baptist Air Care landed at the intersection of Bringle Ferry and Richfield roads near a gas station. The accident took place nearby, in the 12500 block of Bringle Ferry Road about 1:15 p.m.
A witness told emergency crews it looked like the teen was trying to hook the trailer up to a vehicle, but the tongue jack gave way and the tongue caught his left leg.
Rowan County Rescue Squad Assistant Chief Eddie Cress said crews used inflatable airbags and a high-lift jack to raise the heavy trailer.
“When it went down, it caught his left leg and pinned him under the trailer,” Cress said. “It took six to seven minutes once we got there.”
Rowan EMS then took the teen to the helicopter landing site. The Air Care helicopter landed about 1:50 p.m.
The accident occurred in the front yard of a home. Crews did not see a vehicle there when they arrived and said they did not know if a family member moved it out of the way after the accident.
Rockwell Rural Fire, Gold Hill Volunteer Fire, Pooletown Volunteer Fire and Healing Springs Volunteer Fire also responded.