PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A young girl died of head injuries a day after she and a friend were hit by a six-pound nozzle on a fire hose that became uncoiled as a truck rushed past her to a fire.
Erin Schmidt, 10, of Coraopolis, was pronounced dead at 6 p.m. Friday at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Coroner's Office said.
Schmidt and her close friend, Joeylynne Jeffress, 10, were hit with the nozzle Thursday afternoon as they stood in the yard near Schmidt's home.
Allegheny County homicide detectives are not expected to finish their investigation until next week, but Coraopolis Fire Chief Larry Byrge said the girl's death was a tragic accident.
Somehow, a 30-foot section of a 150-foot hose on the side of a truck came loose from the truck's side compartment as the truck sped to a clothes dryer fire about a block from where the girls were hit by the nozzle, authorities said.
Byrge said the department, and especially those five members on the truck, are badly shaken.
``We're here to help people, not hurt them,'' Byrge said.
Jeffress remained at Children's Hospital Friday, but her condition was upgraded from serious to fair.
The girls were classmates and were described by Cornell School District Superintendent D.J. Johnson as inseparable friends. The school district will remain on schedule with teachers returning for duty on Monday and students beginning classes on Wednesday.
``This is a real tragedy,'' Johnson said. ``We are just heartbroken over those little girls.''
Neighbors said the fire hose whipped through several adjoining yards, knocking over plants and breaking a birdbath before the girls were struck.
Byrge said the firefighters couldn't hear the hose dragging because of the truck's siren and diesel engine and because they were wearing breathing equipment.
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