Four Houston firefighters were injured Sunday when their pumper was struck by a tractor-trailer.
Four Houston firefighters were injured early Sunday morning when their pumper was struck by an 18-wheeler, which heavily impacted the cab.
Engine 104's pumper was on U.S. 59 North in north Houston blocking an accident scene when the fire apparatus was hit, the fire department shared in a statement.
The rig suffered extensive damage to the back half of the cab, the pump housing and forward part of the pumper body, photos and video showed.
"All four members were transported to a local hospital with injuries of varying severities," the department shared. "All are expected to fully recover and three remain hospitalized."
The Houston Police Department is investigating the wreck.
Houston's fire chief used this incident to remind drivers about the dangers firefighters face on roadways.
"Blocking traffic on the freeway is one of the most dangerous tasks we do," Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz said. "We’re extremely grateful that every member of Engine 104 is expected to recover, and we ask drivers to slow down and move over when they see emergency crews working.
Houston Fire Department
Houston Fire Department Engine 104 was blocking a crash scene when the rig was truck by a tractor-trailer.
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood Landing, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department and currently is a photographer for the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department.
