Pa. Firefighter Won't be Charged in Fatal Crash

No criminal charges will be filed against the Gardners firefighter police say caused a crash that killed a Carlisle woman Dec. 8.

Pennsylvania State Police at Carlisle are citing Citizen's Fire Co. firefighter Paul Baer, 48, with failing to drive at a safe speed.

According to police, Citizen's Fire Co. of Mount Holly Springs was responding to a car fire on Interstate 81. Baer drove a fire truck, and was traveling west on Route 174. When the truck got to the intersection with Route 34 in South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, it collided with a Ford Freestyle.

The Ford's driver, Constance Walsh, 70, of Carlisle, was killed.

Firefighters unsuccessfully tried to revive her, according to police.

Police say the fire truck had been traveling with its emergency lights and siren activated before the crash.

The state vehicle code states non-emergency vehicles must yield to emergency vehicles responding to a call, but also says emergency vehicles must yield to non-emergency vehicles when they enter its path.

A state police investigation showed speed was not a factor in the crash.

"After consulting with the Cumberland County assistant district attorney, it was determined there was no gross negligence on the part of the fire truck driver," state police spokeswoman Trooper Michele Davis said.

Though Baer was not speeding, Davis said police did issue him the unsafe-speed summary-offense citation because the law prohibits driving at a speed greater than what is "reasonable or prudent" under the conditions.

According to a statement released by the fire company, Baer was put on administrative leave after the crash.

"The membership of the Citizen's Fire Co. of Mount Holly Springs would like to express their sincere condolences to the family of the victim," a statement on the fire company's website said. "These are extremely heartbreaking circumstances and our company is deeply saddened by this loss."

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