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One of the two fire engines severely damaged in a truck accidentthis past January is set to return to duty by late June. The trucks were damaged when a tractor trailer crashed into them on an icy interstate. The fire rescue vehicles were parked on the highway in a staggered position to protect rescue workers responding to a car crash.
The incident occurred during a snowstorm at about 8:30 p.m. Six firefighters were injured. They were brought to Bridgeport Hospital where they were treated and released.
Engine 1 and Engine 5 were damaged so severely, that the common thread of thought in the days right after the crash was that they’d have to be scrapped. They had been hit simultaneously by two tractor trailers while parked on the interstate in a standard protection formation.
Engine 1, the 2008 Smeal pumper, was the department’s newest apparatus. It is the one returning in June.
The fire chief reported that Engine 5, the 2000 Pierce Saber pumper, is expected back sometime this fall.
With the damage to these two engines, the fire department was left scrambling for fire trucks. Two backup engines were pulled out of storage, but they both needed considerable maintenance. One had bad brakes and the other had a transmission issue.
So, two other fire departments were asked to loan engines to the severely crippled fire department force. The Shelton and Milford departments each loaned one.
The cost to replace the two engines would be almost $1 million. This cost is not as high as the cost of the lives they were positioned to protect. The ‘staggered’ configuration is used to direct traffic away from a crash scene. One truck is parked in the center lane and the other in the lane that car wreck is in, leaving the last lane for traffic to flow through. Had the trucks not been in positioned, countless lives may have been lost. This type of accident is common in Westchester but less so in NYC.
A Lawyer says that according to official reports from the Center for National Truck Statistics at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, traffic accidents is actually one of the more significant risks of a firefighter’s job.
When a traffic accident causes you harm or loss of property, be sure to contact a NY Truck Accident Attorney. You will get prompt, considerate and professional assistance regarding your queries.