2 Engines responding collide in freak accident

[AsstEngineer292]

NORTH BABYLON, NY - At approximately 9:00 pm on April 30, 2005, the North Babylon Fire Company was en route to a motor vehicle accident. Engines 1-8-8 and 1-8-2, responding to t he dispatch, met at the intersection of Hubbard’s Path and the North Service Rd of Sunrise Highway.

Engine 1-8-2, t-boned Engine 1-8-8. Approximately eleven fire fighters were injured in the freak accident, ranging from minor to serious injuries.

Mutual aid was request from Babylon Village FD, West Babylon FD and West Islip FD. The accident is under investigation by police and fire authorities



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[RLFD14]

I don't know that I would characterize it as a "freak" accident.

It was an avoidable accident, caused by at least one driver (if not both) making a grave error in judgement. Chances are good that additional injuries were due to other errors in judgement (seatbelts?).

Prayers go out to the brothers and families, and also I hope that the parties involved in the original MVC they were dispatched to are also none the worse for the delayed response.

Slow the F down. Buckle up.

[PattyV]

NORTH BABYLON, NY - At approximately 9:00 pm on April 30, 2005, the North Babylon Fire Company was en route to a motor vehicle accident.

Damn straight they were on the way to a motor vehicle accident!

[Res343cue]

Originally posted by PattyV

Damn straight they were on the way to a motor vehicle accident!

That's not even funny...

We've got brothers that are in the hospital because of an accident.

[LaFireEducator]

When will we learn ???? This is really not rocket science .... one of the trucks had the red light or the stop sign and the other one didn't ..... again our wonderful rush, rush, rush mentality strikes.

If nothing else, you follow the old policy of the truck going straight has the right of way .....

[Dave404]

Originally posted by PattyV

Damn straight they were on the way to a motor vehicle accident!

NOT COOL PATTY! I understand where you are coming from IF you are refering to the lack of judgment at an intersection for one of those drivers!

Personally I wish those injured members a speedy recovery and quick and fair investigation on how to prevent this from happening in the future (RLFD14 said it best)!

Red means stop - period!

[pete892]

Didn't something like this happen recently in Newark, OH. Hope the brothers recover but sometime we have to address this problem.

Stay safe,

Pete

[jaybird210]

Pete, you're right.

And a couple years ago, A Northbrook fire engine and a Stone Park fire engine collided en route to a garage fire. (Both are northern suburbs of Chicago) Result: one firefighter dead, several other injured.

More than a couple years ago, a Champaign, IL ambulance and engine collided in an intersection. Both drivers thought the rigs were going to the same call and would have to slow down to turn. Fact was, they were going to different calls and neither rig slowed or stopped.

Nothing freakish about it.

SLOW DOWN.
STOP AT CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS.
WEAR YOUR ******* SEAT BELT.

I wish the brothers a speedy recovery and return to work.

[SteveDude]

Fire Engines are not exactly the most flimsy of vehicles...but look at the damage to them in the Photographs...JUst how fast were they going?? and why???

"We risk a little to save a savable life!!!"

Whatever, I hope those injured make a full and speedy recovery.

[firenresq77]

I can't believe we are still reading about instances like these..

I hope our brothers get well soon.........

[mglax13]

North Babylon is like 15 minutes away from me.

In my department, we are required to call over the radio that our piece of apparatus is approaching an intersection. We don't do it for evey intersection, just those intersections which have been pre-determined by our fire department to have a probability of 2 pieces of apparatus crossing.

For example, we have one station just off of a main road and another station about a mile down off that same road. When crossing those intersections, we have to call it so approaching apparatus knows.

Also, you should always STOP at an intersection if you have the red before continuing, but that's just common sense.

[PattyV]

Okay, some of you dont understand my humour i do feel sorry for the blokes in the truck because i personally am not a fan of pain. But i always try to lighten things up with a joke, unfortunately people dont always approve. (you should have seen the scene after i cracked one when my brother's dog ate my sister's cat)

[Dave1983]

How do these things keep happening?

[CaptOldTimer]

SPEED! Not paying attention to the duties of driving a large heavy truck. The mind is some where else, like trying to fight the fire while enroute. Not wanting Department “B” to beat you in. Seeing how fast I can drive this big old fire truck! The heck with the traffic signals and other regulatory signs, they must be for the civilians and NOT US!!!!

[Smoke20286]

Accountability being what it is today, someone would swing big-time for that in my Department

[Station2Capt]

From looking at the Photo's at the time they were taken it looks like it was raining or at least the roadway was wet. If these were the conditions at the time of the accident this is just another reason to slow down during your responce. Too often accidents while driving occur because the driver was driving too fast or not paying 100% attention. Also if the officer on the truck should be held partly responsible for allowing his driver to approach an inersection without showing signs of slowing down or stopping.

[HeroOfTheDay]

Originally posted by PattyV

Damn straight they were on the way to a motor vehicle accident!

I believe he was referring to the irony in the fact that the two apparatus' were en route to a motor vehicle accident, yet at the same time they were involved in one.