Charles Co. Fire Truck Overturns

[General Lee]

According to the Bay Net, a car made a left turn in front of the truck. Truck swerved to avoid the car. Truck was responding to a baby not breathing.
Sorry A$$ impatient drivers caused this it sounds like.........damn shame.

 

[lulu belle]

And asking if the driver got ticketed is a little harsh... don't you think that would be the last of someone's worries when they are injured in the hospital? Bottom line is that they did avoid hitting the other vehicle and risked their own lives doing so. Not trying to be nasty... just trying to give you a different perspective.

I don't think they were trying to be harsh, they way I read it is just as a simple question, do rescue drivers get ticketed the same way as Joe Smoe might? I would imagine there are exceptions for them......

 

[LateApex]

Do you volunteer? Do you put you life at risk for others? No?? then STFU....

I promise you wouldn't be whining if they were coming to or even from a call at your house.

Jesus.. Shut up...

I see these yahoo's blazing down the street all the time. Even when they're not responding to a call..

It looks like it was too much vehicle for a person that doesn't understand physics...

 

[raven]

Me Too

Looking at the skid marks they did some kind of avoidance... that is too bad.

Those things have a lot of weight to control and stop. Once you get in a bad situation all you can do is hold on and hope it straightens out!

I did my fair share of Volunteer FF'ing and have my share of horror stories and my own reasons for getting out early... this incident will give the crew the shakes for sometime...

I use to run with Kentland Station 33 when you are young you are invincible until you grow and understand lifes dangers. They were many of days when going to calls you felt the ass end of the pumper skidding and the rush gets pumping even more.

 

[WVFD EMT23]

I don't think they were trying to be harsh, they way I read it is just as a simple question, do rescue drivers get ticketed the same way as Joe Smoe might? I would imagine there are exceptions for them......

Yeah... I got that after I posted!
Just an update for everyone... all of the guys are okay. They were all released from the hospital and are going to be fine, sore but good! The child not breathing was a 13 year old and they are okay too!

 

[WVFD EMT23]

I don't think they were trying to be harsh, they way I read it is just as a simple question, do rescue drivers get ticketed the same way as Joe Smoe might? I would imagine there are exceptions for them......

Oh... and as far as there being some exceptions, there are to a point. Say I'm responding to a call or en route to the hospital and I fail to yield at an intersection... if I hit someone and kill them, I am def. charged with it. If it is determined to be driver error on my part, then we will get a ticket. Now if it's the same scenario, and I do yield, clear it and then someone pulls in front of me and causes me to hit them, then I am not charged. It really all depends on the circumstances of each situation, but truct me... we don't get special privileges! I've been there!

 

[chernmax]

I promise you wouldn't be whining if they were coming to or even from a call at your house.

If the truck is laying on it's side, how much help should he count on???

 

[theArtistFormerlyKnownAs]

Yeah... I got that after I posted!
Just an update for everyone... all of the guys are okay. They were all released from the hospital and are going to be fine, sore but good! The child not breathing was a 13 year old and they are okay too!

awesome.

is the truck alright? Repairable at least? those things are defnitely not cheap and volunteer stations don't really have enough money to just go buying fancy new vehicles.

 

[WVFD EMT23]

The truck is a total loss but it was actually up for sale anyway. It's kind of a blessing in disguise because it was only selling for $25,000.00, and with it totaled out, the insurance company will pay out more.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

None of the firefighters suffered serious injuries. They were treated and released.

I like these stories when they say this in the report.

 

[General Lee]

Jesus.. Shut up...

I see these yahoo's blazing down the street all the time. Even when they're not responding to a call..

It looks like it was too much vehicle for a person that doesn't understand physics...

Bunch of hypocrites on this board. Several of u bashing the truck driver and don't even know or knew the story. These people are the ones that sit on their A$$es and believe they own the volunteer emergencies services and police departments and expect none of the members to make a mistake. These people are the ones that are afraid to do the job the volunteers and police choose to do. They sit back behind the scenes and criticize the job they do and what they do wrong, BUT, its a whole different story when they are in need of help.
If that truck driver said the hell with it, and struck the car that didn't yield, those occupants would most likely would have been killed. That fire truck is big and heavy and would have done serious damage. The drivers of these trucks know their heavy, top heavy, only may have only one axle.... bla bla bla. I guarantee he wasn't trying to be a cowboy, they were RESPONDING TO A CHILD NOT BREATHING. He made a decision that he thought was best at the split second time he had. From that decision, there were only injuries and not fateful ones. He possibly saved the life of the ones he avoided hitting.
Just be thankful there out there trying to protect you and your property. Someones got to do it, and you criticizers certainly aren't.

 

[WVFD EMT23]

Jesus.. Shut up...

I see these yahoo's blazing down the street all the time. Even when they're not responding to a call..

It looks like it was too much vehicle for a person that doesn't understand physics...

I'm sorry... I am not a nasty person by any means, but seriously! Like you have NEVER in your life went over the speed limit... come on!
And as far as saying that it was a person that couldn't handle the vehicle... did you read where it says "A CIVILIAN VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF THEM!!!!". They wrecked because 2 vehicles wouldn't pull to the side and they had to drive down the left side of the road. They passed the first vehicle and the 2nd one made a left directly into the path of the Squad. What would you have done?? And don't say you would slow down or wouldn't have been driving that fast because when you hear that there is a patient not breathing and especially a CHILD, you want to get there as quickly as you can!!!
Some people just don't understand!!!!!!!

 

[WVFD EMT23]

Bunch of hypocrites on this board. Several of u bashing the truck driver and don't even know or knew the story. These people are the ones that sit on their A$$es and believe they own the volunteer emergencies services and police departments and expect no one of the members to make a mistake. These people are the ones that are afraid to do the job the volunteers and police choose to do. They sit back behind the scenes and criticize the job they do and what they do wrong, BUT, its a whole different story when they are in need of help.
If that truck driver said the hell with it, and struck the car that didn't yield, those occupants would most likely have been killed. That fire truck is big and heavy and would have done serious damage. The drivers of these trucks know their heavy, top heavy, only may have only one axle.... bla bla bla. I guarantee he wasn't trying to be a cowboy, they were RESPONDING TO A CHILD NOT BREATHING. He made a decision that he thought was best at the split second time he had. From that decision, there were only injuries and not fateful ones. He possibly saved the life of the ones he avoided hitting.
Just be thankful there out there trying to protect you and your property. Someones got to do it, and you criticizers certainly aren't.

Thank you!!!!!

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

The truck is a total loss but it was actually up for sale anyway. It's kind of a blessing in disguise because it was only selling for $25,000.00, and with it totaled out, the insurance company will pay out more.

Don't think so ($25,000) its in MD. Fire Dispatch this month for $150,000.

I beleive the Insurance will cover total replacement cost. So they will make out very nicely. They have a new Squad ordered and has been ordered for sometime and its about ready for delivery, they have had a final inspection from the manufacter I believe, and I would think it should be in soon. Proably will cost about $700,000.

Comments about the driver not being experienced enough to handle that big piece of equipment are he is 43 years old and has been volunteering at Waldorf for proably 25 years and has driven more emergency calls already in his life time, then Joe Citizen drives in his life time going back and forth to work and about each day.

I volunteer also but not at Waldorf and have never met the driver, but I will tell you, some drivers do some really stupid things when a emergency vehicle comes up behind them, Ive had a lady slam on her brakes while I was driving the ambulance enroute to SoMd.and come to a complete stop on 301 where Mattawomen merges into 301 where there is like 5 lanes of traffic she's in the middle of the 5 lanes, I have to slam on my brakes and when I stop all I see is the back of her trunk lid, I don't know how I stopped from hitting her. After venting my anger to myself and some choice words I proceeded to the hospital, once at the hospital I apolozied to the patient in the back, who just happened to be a deputy sheriff who had gotten hurt at home and she said she understood it happens to her all the time.

 

[lulu belle]

I beleive the Insurance will cover total replacement cost. So they will make out very nicely.

Blessings do come in such odd forms sometimes don't they?

 

[TimAllen]

Glad everyone is ok

I was a volunteer at Waldorf for quite a few years, and just wanted to say I am very glad that none of the FF's suffered serious injuries. Keep up the good work!!!!!!!

 

[keepsmiling]

Bunch of hypocrites on this board. Several of u bashing the truck driver and don't even know or knew the story. These people are the ones that sit on their A$$es and believe they own the volunteer emergencies services and police departments and expect none of the members to make a mistake. These people are the ones that are afraid to do the job the volunteers and police choose to do. They sit back behind the scenes and criticize the job they do and what they do wrong, BUT, its a whole different story when they are in need of help.
If that truck driver said the hell with it, and struck the car that didn't yield, those occupants would most likely would have been killed. That fire truck is big and heavy and would have done serious damage. The drivers of these trucks know their heavy, top heavy, only may have only one axle.... bla bla bla. I guarantee he wasn't trying to be a cowboy, they were RESPONDING TO A CHILD NOT BREATHING. He made a decision that he thought was best at the split second time he had. From that decision, there were only injuries and not fateful ones. He possibly saved the life of the ones he avoided hitting.
Just be thankful there out there trying to protect you and your property. Someones got to do it, and you criticizers certainly aren't.

Once again being the HEROES as they are every day!! Thank you.

 

[FIREMAN]

To all the Volunteers and Paid Firefighters

The good thing is there was no deaths in either accident. So let this be a lesson and get back on the trucks. No need to be on this forum fighting over who's right or wrong, top heavy, or speed.

We have job to do.

 

[smcop]

To all of the negative people in here blaming these volunteer hero's for these accidents, just remember they are accidents. These men and women didn't wake up saying I'm going to overturn a fire truck today. They respond to calls all the time and sometimes time is of the essence and they have to travel at speeds above the norm. There non-emergency equipment drivers out here that just do not pay attention to emergency vehicles, and often they are the cause of the accidents. Before you spout out your opinion, perhaps you should get all of the facts!

 

[vanbells]

That sucks that the truck flipped over. People seriously need to pull over when emergency vehicles have their lights and sirens on. I'm glad no one else was hurt when the truck flipped over.

What ever happened to the baby that they were responding to?