Two Buffalo firefighters were hurt and a city ladder truck is out of service following a collision with an SUV Saturday night that also sent two civilians to the hospital for treatment.
According to WIVB 4, the local television station, Buffalo’s Ladder 7 was responding with lights and siren to a reported oven fire when the collision occurred at 7:16 p.m.
Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield told the television station that two firefighters and two in the SUV were injured and taken to Erie County Medical Center for treatment and two other firefighters in the ladder were also transported as a precaution.
Whitfield said it appears that none of the injuries were serious but the crash itself was.
"So, when these things happen, they deplete our resources,” Whitfield told the television station. “We have to send crews for this now, and they're not available for other emergencies in the city. So it has a very serious impact on our operations."
Whitfield said to his knowledge all the department’s procedures were being followed at the time of the crash.
Looking at the position of the fire truck and the SUV relative to each other, it was obvious to Whitfield that the two missed "t-boning" each other by just a few inches more.
"It could've been [a] much different scene," the Whitfield said. "So we just advise people to make sure that they pay attention, keep the music down, keep focused on the road and watch out for emergency vehicles."
Buffalo firefighters are trained in defensive driving maneuvers when they learn to drive the trucks, according to Whitfield.
So far, no charges have been filed in connection with this accident.
