Three Civilians Killed in Crash with Baltimore Rig

Click here for images from the scene

BALTIMORE --

Three people were killed and four people were injured when a sport utility vehicle collided with a fire truck responding to a call, authorities said.

The fire truck was traveling northbound on Park Heights Avenue in response to a call for smoke in a building when it collided with the SUV, which was traveling eastbound on Clarks Lane. The crash occurred at about 3 a.m. Sunday.

The three occupants of the SUV, two men and a woman, had to be cut out of the SUV before they could be taken to area hospitals, where they were later pronounced dead, officals said.

The victims were identified as driver Iryna Petrov, 49, front seat passenger Mikhail Petrov, 35, and backseat passenger Igor Saub, 24, according to Sterling Clifford, a spokesman for the police department and mayor. Clifford said the Petrovs were married, but he did not know where they or Saub lived.

Two firefighters, an officer and an emergency vehicle driver were treated and released at the University of Maryland's R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, said fire department spokesman Kevin Cartwright.

Area roads were slick at the time of the accident, but officials didn't say if weather was a factor. The crash is still under investigation.

"The families of the three who died will be in my heart and in my prayers today, and I ask the citizens of Baltimore to pray for them as well," said Mayor Sheila Dixon. "My office will do whatever we can to help these families in this difficult hour.

"I know that this is an incredibly difficult day for the Baltimore Fire Department family as well. Our firefighters put their lives on the line for us every day, and I deeply appreciate their commitment to our safety."

Tough Year Continues For Fire Department

The city's fire department has weathered a tough year, including the death of a fire recruit during a training exercise in February, which led to several firings. Safety violations were also found in the death of a firefighter during a house fire last fall.

The firefighter's union cast a no-confidence vote on Fire Chief William Goodwin in the spring. Goodwin announced his resignation last month, citing the stress of the past year and his wife's health.

Amid a recent cheating scandal involving black firefighters, a threatening note and a rope shaped like a noose were placed inside a firehouse.

Later, officials said the paramedic apprentice who initially reported finding the items, who is black, confessed to planting them. Goodwin said they were aimed at creating the perception that department members were discriminatory and unprofessional.

Stay with WBALTV.com and WBAL TV 11 News for updates.

Related Training Articles: