An Indianapolis ladder truck and a fire engine collided the night of Aug. 14 while both were en route to what turned out to be a false alarm.
Engine 14 was traveling south on Meridian Street and Ladder 13 was traveling east on 16th Street when they crashed at approximately 10:55 p.m., according to department spokeswoman Rita Burris.
"There was a second or two there that Engine 14's crew realized they were going to hit (Ladder 13)," she said. "The driver was able to maneuver to prevent it from T-boning the ladder truck, causing it to hit the back end."
The ladder and the engine each had four firefighters on board; none of whom sustained any injuries.
One of the apparatus hit a parked car with passengers on board following the collision, but no injuries were reported.
A call came in at approximately 10:48 p.m. for an apartment fire on Pennsylvania Street, where smoke coming from the second floor and evacuating residents was reported but it was later deemed a false alarm, Burris said.
Engine 14 suffered front end damage and damage to its windshield while Ladder 13 sustained damage to the driver-side rear quarter panel.
Burris said the monetary cost of the damages is still being estimated, but that it is expected to be significant.
The crash is still under investigation.
Paul Peluso | Staff Writer
Paul Peluso is a Firehouse.com staff writer and has worked for the Web site since 2006. Previously, he worked as a reporter for several community newspapers located in the suburbs of Baltimore, Md. Since joining the newsteam, Paul has covered various fire service issues including fire sprinklers, grants, line of duty deaths and technology. While he started out at the Beltsville, Md. office, he has since moved to Florida where he works out of his home office in Tampa.
