By Jack Chavez, Staff Writer

(Dec. 22, 2022) One person was transferred via helicopter to a shock trauma center following an accident at the Village Square Shopping Center in Ocean Pines on Saturday.

According to a post on its Facebook account, the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department and the Showell Volunteer Fire Department responded to the shopping center at 12:22 p.m. for the report of a vehicle accident, being advised that a pedestrian had been run over and was subsequently pinned under the vehicle.

“With combined efforts from personnel from the OPVFD and (SVFD), crews were able to employ their training and experience to lift the vehicle off the patient utilizing high-pressure air lifting bags,” the post read.

“Once the patient was freed, paramedics from both departments quickly worked to assess the patient’s injuries and prepared them for transport via (Maryland State Police) Trooper 4 (helicopter) to shock trauma. We would like to thank the bystanders who rushed to the aid of the injured pedestrian while the fire departments responded.”

The department added in its post that proper training was a great aid in working through what is “not an everyday occurrence.”

“(This incident) does provide justification for the endless hours our volunteer and career firefighters invest in training. Over the last two months (and every year), the OPVFD and SVFD have participated in joint vehicle extrication training where we have practiced this exact scenario utilizing high-pressure air lifting bags. Our line officers stay attuned with emergency situations from around the country and implement training to replicate these incidents.”

As of Tuesday, Ocean Pines Police Chief Leo Ehrisman, the only point of contact for this incident within the agency, was out with an illness and thus unable to answer questions regarding a police report, investigation or possible charges.