A Connecticut firefighter was seriously injured in a crash while responding to a call late Monday.
The accident happened just before 11:30 p.m. as Hebron Lt. Eric Saunders was driving his personal pickup truck to his fire station after being dispatched to help with a structure fire in Lebanon as part of a mutual aid response, WVIT-TV reports. Saunder's vehicle hit a tree, and a fellow firefighter called for help after coming upon the crash.
At the scene, an unconscious Saunders needed to be extricated from his truck, and he was taken to Hartford Hospital, where he underwent surgery. According to the department, Saunders was in the hospital's neuro-ICU and was still unconscious as of Tuesday afternoon.
Doctors said Saunders' "neuro status appears to be going in the right direction," and they will have a better idea about his recovery in the next few days.
The Hebron Fire Department was one of three departments was dispatched to Monday night's fire by Tolland County's centralized dispatch system. The cause of Saunder's accident is under investigation, WVIT added.
