Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Location: Highway 150 north of The Summit
Date & Time: 10/03/2009 0910hrs
Unit Responsible: Sheriff’s Aviation/S.A.R.

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (W)itnesses City of residence Age

V - Tracy Hopcus Ojai 39

On 10-03-09, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department received a call of a single vehicle collision near Lake Casitas on Highway 150. The Aviation Unit was dispatched and responded with Air Squad 8.

Staffed with a pilot, three rescue crew chiefs, and a flight paramedic, Air Squad 8 arrived on scene. On-scene information revealed that a vehicle had in fact driven off the road and had come to rest on its roof, approximately 200' down a steep hillside near Lake Casitas. The single occupant of the vehicle had been fully ejected during the incident.

A flight paramedic and rescue crew chief were hover off-loaded in an area where they were able to gain access to the accident scene on foot. The injured subject, later identified as (V) Tracy Hopcus, was assessed for injuries and loaded into a rescue litter. The flight paramedic and rescue crew chief determined that given the location and terrain surrounding, Tracy would need to be hoisted into the helicopter. Tracy was hoisted from a distance of about 120' and loaded into Air Squad 8. Tracy was flown directly to V.C.M.C. where she was transferred to the emergency room staff.