MIKE GLENN
Houston Chroncile
Reprinted with Permission

A Houston Fire Department truck collided with a sport utility vehicle in the Montrose area Tuesday, sending the driver and a firefighter to the hospital, authorities said.


The crash happened about 3:45 p.m. when a woman in a Chevrolet Tahoe pulled into the 2000 block of Dunlavy from Haddon and into the path of the oncoming HFD truck, officials said.
The force of the impact sent the Chevrolet careening into the front yard of Melissa Stephens' chiropractic clinic.

"You could hear the big (fire) truck honking and then 'boom,'" said Stephens, who was in a back office at the time.

The HFD ladder truck was returning from an assignment when the Tahoe drove into the intersection, officials said.

Stephens rushed to the front to find the firefighters from the ladder truck working to free the SUV driver, who is pregnant.

"They got in there fast," a visibly impressed Stephens said. "They jumped out and did what they were supposed to do. They did a great job."

The woman, 36, and a firefighter from the ladder truck were both taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, officials said.
Although the investigation is continuing, police at the scene said the Tahoe driver will probably be cited for failing to yield the right-of-way.

Stephens said she wasn't worried about the damage to her yard. "I was mainly concerned if anyone was injured," she said. "All this stuff can be repaired."