Detroit Fire Truck Crash Caught on Tape

July 22, 2009
The driver of a Ladder 13 fire rig loses control while on a run and crashes into two cars, injuring two people.

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DETROIT --

A run by a Detroit fire crew on the city's southwest side took a turn for the worse Tuesday evening.

As a Ladder 13 fire truck, with the sirens blaring, turned from Lawndale Road onto West Vernor Street, and crashed into two vehicles, a surveillance camera from a nearby party store rolled.

Investigators said the surveillance camera from Dollar Max Plus shows the driver of the rig takes the right turn at a high speed and misses his lane. He then plows into a vehicle waiting at the light on Vernor Street and then slams into a Pontiac G6, sending it flying nearly 50 feet, before coming to a stop.

"He is a crazy driver. He wants to hurry, and he got beside him (the driver of the Pontiac G6) and he put it off on the street," said Dollar Max Plus owner Bawsam Safedi.

The two people inside the Pontiac G6 were taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the vehicle that was hit first was not injured. Also, none of the three firefighters inside the rig were injured.

Local 4 has learned that the firefighter behind the wheel has been with the department for more than 10 years and has traveled the same route many times.

The Detroit Fire Department will only say it is investigating the crash. Local 4 has learned the driver of the rig underwent drug and alcohol testing Tuesday evening.

Investigators said it's common procedure to undergo those types of tests during crash investigations.

Copyright 2009 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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