CHARLOTTE, N.C. --
One person was seriously injured when a fire truck and a sport utility vehicle collided in south Charlotte early Monday.
Engine No. 12 was responding to a car accident on Interstate 77 and was traveling north in the southbound lane of South Boulevard when it hit an SUV turning from Woodlawn Road onto South Boulevard about 10:20 a.m. Charlotte Fire Department Capt. Rob Brisley said the firefighters cared for the injured SUV driver as more firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
Eric Morrison, spokesman for MEDIC, said paramedics rushed the SUV driver to Carolinas Medical Center with serious but not life-threatening injuries. He said all four firefighters who were on the truck involved in the crash were taken to Presbyterian Hospital to be checked out.
Brisley said the firefighters were shaken up, but they were not injured.
Southbound South Boulevard was closed for a short time so police could investigate.
People who work near the intersection said it's common to see emergency vehicles using the opposite lane of traffic. One worker said since the median was put in and the lanes changed, traffic can back up and leave rescuers with few options when heading north.
"They have to come through on this (southbound) side of the median because there's no traffic coming through most of the time," said Andy Deemer, a worker at the nearby Payless ShoeSource.
Firefighters wouldn't comment on the specifics of the incident, saying police are investigating.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said the accident report won't be available for two or three days.
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