Speed, Operator Error Ruled Out in Massachusetts Fire Engine Crash

April 15, 2010
Investigators continue to search for the cause of an engine crash on April 10 that injured four Framingham firefighters, but have already ruled out operator error and speed, according to The Metro West Daily News. Engineers from the Wisconsin-based Pierce Manufacturing and a team of police experts remain befuddled as to the cause.

Investigators continue to search for the cause of an engine crash on April 10 that injured four Framingham firefighters, but have already ruled out operator error and speed, according to The Metro West Daily News.

Engineers from the Wisconsin-based Pierce Manufacturing and a team of police experts remain befuddled as to the cause.

They are now worried that a special steering mechanism in Engine 7 could have led to the crash. As a precaution, the fire department has disabled the all-wheel drive steering system on two of its trucks.

The crash occurred when Firefighter Dave Carol lost control of Engine 7 while returning from a call. The 2001 Pierce Quantum skidded, rolled over and hit a utility pole before coming to a rest.

"We want to make sure that there's no other problems with the vehicle," Chief Gary Daugherty said. "We're proceeding now to look at, internally, any operational things that we can do differently."

After concluding their two-day inspection of the wrecked truck, investigators will now analyze forensics, records and technical data, according to the report.

The truck's "black box" indicated there were no violent movements such as a jerk of the wheel or slamming on the brakes right before the crash, Daugherty told the newspaper.

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