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Some knuckleheads being... well, knuckleheads
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/hunterdon-county/express-times/inde...
A firetruck responding to a car crash call in Hunterdon County illegally passed an ambulance headed to the same wreck, forcing the ambulance into a ditch when the truck swerved to avoid an oncoming car, an ambulance official said.
Now the president of the Quakertown Volunteer EMS is calling two members of his squad "heroes" after the accident involving a Quakertown ambulance and a Quakertown Fire Company truck, both of which were responding to a one-car crash on Sidney Road.
He credited their training and quick response for preventing the accident from becoming "what could have been a huge disaster."
Peter Colby, 27, was driving and Laurie Luster was a passenger in the ambulance shortly after midnight Saturday when "they were illegally passed (by the fire truck) in a no-passing zone on Quakertown Road," president David Evans said.
Colby and Luster are employees of the Quakertown squad.
"To avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming car, the fire truck forced the... ambulance off the road into a ditch. The oncoming car was also forced off the road," Evans said
It is fortunate that the ambulance landed in the ditch, because it kept the rig from flipping over and prevented it from hitting a nearby utility pole, he said.
Kenneth Mandoli, Franklin Township director of public safety, said he couldn't release any information about the accident because it remains under investigation. He said his force is doing a probe, taking statements from about 14 people.
Evans said the oncoming car was driven by a Quakertown Fire volunteer, who was driving to the firehouse to respond to the call. Witnessing the accident was a township employee driving behind the ambulance, Evans said. "He saw everything."
A firetruck responding to a car crash call in Hunterdon County illegally passed an ambulance headed to the same wreck, forcing the ambulance into a ditch when the truck swerved to avoid an oncoming car, an ambulance official said.
Now the president of the Quakertown Volunteer EMS is calling two members of his squad "heroes" after the accident involving a Quakertown ambulance and a Quakertown Fire Company truck, both of which were responding to a one-car crash on Sidney Road.
He credited their training and quick response for preventing the accident from becoming "what could have been a huge disaster."
Peter Colby, 27, was driving and Laurie Luster was a passenger in the ambulance shortly after midnight Saturday when "they were illegally passed (by the fire truck) in a no-passing zone on Quakertown Road," president David Evans said.
Colby and Luster are employees of the Quakertown squad.
"To avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming car, the fire truck forced the... ambulance off the road into a ditch. The oncoming car was also forced off the road," Evans said
It is fortunate that the ambulance landed in the ditch, because it kept the rig from flipping over and prevented it from hitting a nearby utility pole, he said.
Kenneth Mandoli, Franklin Township director of public safety, said he couldn't release any information about the accident because it remains under investigation. He said his force is doing a probe, taking statements from about 14 people.
Evans said the oncoming car was driven by a Quakertown Fire volunteer, who was driving to the firehouse to respond to the call. Witnessing the accident was a township employee driving behind the ambulance, Evans said. "He saw everything."
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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You left out the remaining part of the article that said both "Volunteer" departments are having a rift over the FD first responding to EMS calls.
Another FFclosecalls story to hit today was a POV accident passing on the left and t-boning someone turning left in front of him.
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Permalink Reply by Nathan Stanaway on
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Ya I placed the link for it though, I didnt want to have a huge long post. The portion I posted is the basics of what happened. Emergency vehicle passed another emergency vehicle on a blind hill, both were going to the same incident, everyone almost died..... Its pretty clear that was a bonehead move.
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Looks like a bad case of unprofessional behavior all around! That was sorta a rhetorical question Im assuming. .
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Permalink Reply by Marvin Hawk on
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Lets see the root cause of the problem. Tunnel Vision, Mine Is Bigger Than Yours Syndrome, Lack of Training, Territorial Disputes, Failure To Play Well With Others, and last but not least probably about 1000 CC's of Too Much Testosterone .
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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I'm sure it could be found on one of the T-shirt slogans that came up before.
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Idiots, just freaking idiots.....didn't they ever learn we are NO good to the patient or fireground if we don't get there. There is NO reason for such crap....Where is the damn leadership for these departments???
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Permalink Reply by ashfire on
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Has this county had anytype of EVOC training? Does the county have a controling body of the fire and ems services to enforce the laws on their departments?
I feel the driver of the fire unit should be suspended from all operations and lose all rights to driving a POV. I guess it will be up to a judge to do this not to include the lawsuits the people involve will tack on.
Only time I ever past another emergency vehicle on a emergency run was 30 years ago and I was ordered by that unit to do it. We had a water rescue and the brush unit was towing the boat and I was in the ambulance.
The warning ights went out on the brush unit and I was ordered to come around and lead.
I remember our vol chief use to pass the units all the time on calls. Alot of that stopped as the years went by and people moved on and more training was provided by the county leadership and the state.
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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on
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Jeff, I would hope that if you ever have to terminate an employee, you would be a little more professional about it. I agree that the driver of that apparatus was careless, reckless and maybe even criminal. He should never be able to drive an apparatus again. Maybe should even be dismissed from the fire service. But your point is far more effective when your statements do not have to be bleeped out.
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Heres something I just thought. The officer of that fire unit could also be charged for either making the order to pass the ambulance or for not preventing it. He was in control and he can also go down with the driver for bad judgement.
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Permalink Reply by Patrick J Cronen on
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First of all I do not care who is the First at the call..You never drive the fire aparatus or Ems in a reckless manner..The fire dept and ems need to check their attitudes at the door and remember why we do this. We are there to Honor,protect,seerve..the community and each other..
They all need to grow up.
The driver of the Firetruck should be banned from the Fire Dept and the others will see this and realize that we protect from accidents we do not creat them let hurt one of our own..
pj
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Very well said...I agree 100%
pj
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