On Saturday, July 17, 2004, around 2:15 PM, a Tonganoxie, Kansas firefighter was involved in a two vehicle injury accident on U.S. Highway 24/40 in Tonganoxie. The firefighter was driving the Chief's Staff Vehicle, a 1995 Crown Victoria.
The firefighter was eastbound in the right lane with a Kansas highway patrolman in the left lane when a Chevrolet full size pickup truck pulled out in front of them from a side street with a stop sign. The truck had stopped but did not see the trooper or the fire car approaching. The trooper and fire car were going about 55 mph when the subject pulled out. The trooper went to the left in front of the truck and was able to avoid hitting him. The fire car went to the right, to the rear of the vehicle and struck the truck in the rear axle of the truck. This put the truck into a spin and the fire car continued straight into the ditch.
It appears that both vehicles are totaled.
The occupant of the truck was an 80-year-old man and suffered from a head injury and was incoherant immediatley following the accident. The gentleman was transported by EMS and was kept in the hospital for observation. He was not wearing his seatbelt.
The firefighter only suffered a burn on his arm from the airbag deployment, he was wearing his seatbelt. The firefigther was transported by EMS to the hospital for cautionary measures, and was released.
