Two men hospitalized after traffic accident in Leone early Monday

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man is fighting for his life at the Intensive Care Unit due to severe head and brain injuries as a result of a vehicle accident in Auma Leone early Monday morning.

The accident, according to witnesses occurred when a flat-bed truck carrying construction workers collided with an oncoming vehicle.

According to Acting Chief Executive Officer of the LBJ hospital, Dr Akapusi Ledua, the three men who were rushed the hospital on Monday were sitting in the back of a flat bed company truck when it collided with another vehicle.

 “The two men admitted were both 36 years old; while one was taken straight to the ICU with severe head and brain injury and he’s in a critical but stable condition.

 “He is intubated and on the ventilator to support oxygenation and minimize secondary brain injury.

 The other victim underwent surgery for severe fractures of both his wrists, with injury to one of the main nerves in his left hand.

 He is also stable, according to Dr. Ledua and the victim was admitted to the surgical ward after surgery that night.

“Surgery involves fixing his badly broken wrists and releasing the pressure off the injured nerve of the left hand, preventing permanent injury to the nerve,” explained Dr Ledua.