PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Two fire trucks responding to a call collided at a downtown intersection Thursday, injuring nine firefighters, one seriously.

Photos Courtesy PhillyFireNews.com
Ron Trout/PFN Staff Photo - Browse More on PFN



Raw Video of the Scene:


Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said none of the injuries appeared life-threatening after the crash, which involved a ladder truck and a fire engine in a residential neighborhood.

The most seriously injured firefighter, a lieutenant on the ladder truck, was knocked unconscious and had to be cut from the wreckage.

Ayers said he spoke at a hospital with the injured lieutenant, whose first question was, "How's my guys?"

The ladder truck and the fire engine had been speeding along perpendicular streets before they slammed into each other. The ladder truck then spun off and smashed into a utility pole, caving in one of its sides, while the fire engine clattered into the back of a parked car.

No other injuries were reported, but a woman inside a flower shop nearly struck by the ladder truck was taken to a hospital for observation because she was shaken up, Ayers said.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Four other fire trucks made it to the two-story home where the fire was reported and extinguished the flames.

FFN Update:

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the most seriously injured was the lieutenant on board Ladder 9, who was knocked unconscious and had to be extricated. He was conscious at a local hospital and did not appear to have life threatening injuries.

PhillyFireNews.com reports that Ladder-9 (a tiller) and Squirt 43 struck each other at 9th and Lombard while enroute to a box assignment.

Several firefighter were reported to be trapped and all nine of the firefighters were transported to local hospitals. All injuries are reported to be non life threatening. Numerous medic units requested to the scene.

Photos & More Details: KYW Radio: Nine Firefighters Hurt As Firetrucks Collide in Center City

WPVI: Slideshow - Nine firefighters hurt in crash

Video: Firefighters Injured In Center City Collision

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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I don't think it matters what type of system was in place. It is quite obvious that one piece of apparatus failed to obey the part of the system that was in effect for them i.e. they either ran a stop light or stop sign. It is physically impossible for two vehicles to occupy the same space.
Thats even more reason to drive more cautiously. Unfamiliar territory.
Wow, some of these comments blow me away and that's all that i am saying at this point.
Other then that i hope that all of Brothers in Philly walk away from this accident with minor injuries.....
Just one word. COMMUNICATION. When units are responding from areas other than quarters they should communicate to each and every unit where they are comming from. Also they should obey all traffic signals as another unit may be entering the intersection.
Was glad to hear the update that all are well, but what about the call, they never got there. What is more important --- SPEED or SAFETY--- You can't help anyone if you don't get to the scene.
Philly is right. It's easy to play Mon morning quarterback, but there are only a couple of people who REALLY know what happened here. So let's give them all a break, until the story is told. The important thing to remember is that they are all going to be OK.
MVC 's happen ..MVA's are preventable, but we do not know what the problem was. At least all are alive and kicking , to tell their stories.... Get well soon Brothers.
Get into the habit of calling the intersection.....
here is my point of the traffic device , ITS in an area that I would not have seen !! NO matter how many times I drive that area . The traffic device is on a pole to the right on the sidewalk !!!!! Those are the ones that will hurt you !! IF they would hang over the road you would see them better . If we knew what direction they where going , that makes a big difference of what happened.I have seen where alight might be green and with a sec. its red ,at all intersections just slow down !! its not that hard . PLEASE BELT UP AND SLOW DOWN . BE SAFE my fellow FFS. Come home .
We will have to see what happens i think Mr nutter closed a station right down the street from the fire so these trucks are coming other areas of philly and most drivers dont know the area and streets that well so this might have been a factor in this case so the city is crying no money well look at the ot your going to be paying to cover these 9 men out hurt Get well soon guys thoughts & prayers are with you
the biggest problem with operators is that sometimes we get tunnel vision and forget thet basics of driving an apparatus. Operator error is one of the leading cause of fire apparatus collisions. Most of them in intersections just like this one. My prayers to my injured brothers. THis could have been alot worst but God was on the firemans side. Best of luck out there and lets all be SAFE!!!!!!

Eng. Slim
Clearly, one of the apparatus had a RED light and didn't stop. Opticom would not have helped if the drivers are not required to stop at red lights. Opticom gives red lights in all directions accept that of the approaching fire apparatus, so, which ever apparatus activated the opticom first would have gotten the green light and the other the red.
the lord was watching over the firefighters. this could have been worse. you have to gave some credit to the drivers. hope everyone will be ok and back to work soon. p.s. we train to prevent this from happening to us but sometimes stuff just hits the fan and you have to dell with it.

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