There were a couple reminders this week to remain vigilant while driving and working on the side of the road. On Monday, Oct. 3 a suspected drunk driver was arrested after he was allegedly driving in the emergency lane and collided with two fire fighters that were on the scene of a previous motor vehicle collision. Both fire fighters sustained what we would consider to be minor injuries, with one of them suffering a broken leg.
Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat went on Twitter to express her frustrations with the public and what seems to be an ongoing issue of crashing into emergency vehicles conducting operations. Sweat tweeted, “…it is ridiculous that you continue to crash into our Fire & EMS apparatus but when you seriously injure our 1st responders it is unforgivable.”
And then this morning it is being reported out of Texas that Dalhart Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Curtis Brown and Fire Fighter Brendan Torres were killed in the crash while returning to the station after responding to a call. The Texas Department of Safety was dispatched to a head-on collision involving the fire vehicle. It is suspected that a tractor trailer was attempting to pass another vehicle when it moved into the oncoming lane striking the fire department vehicle. Brown and Torres were declared dead on scene.
Chief Brown was reportedly an active member of the West Texas Fire Arson Investigators Assoc. and FF Torres had recently received a scholarship to attend the Frank Phillips College welding and CDL training program.
Stay vigilant, never let your guard down.
References:
FireRescue1 Staff. (2022, Oct. 3). 2 FF-medics injured after DUI suspect plows into crash scene. Retrieved from EMS1.com, https://www.ems1.com/ambulance-crash/articles/2-ff-medics-injured-after-dui-suspects-plows-into-crash-scene-ctlC1Ii5LswmcUeS/.
Merrill, L. (2022, Oct. 5). Texas chief, firefighter killed in head-on collision. Retrieved from EMS1.com, https://www.ems1.com/vehicle-crashes/articles/texas-chief-firefighter-killed-in-head-on-collision-mMiEG17waUDhuHKP/.
