Glencoe, Ky. volunteer firefighter hospitalized, fire truck destroyed after crash
GLENCOE, Ky. (CNN NEWSOURCE) — A Kentucky firefighter is recovering after a wreck landed him in the hospital and totaled one of his department’s trucks.
Firefighters were headed to a reported car fire when they encountered another car on a one-lane road too narrow for both vehicles.
That forced the fire truck off the edge of the road, and it hit a culvert.
“When he did he lost control of the truck and it overturned several times into a field. He’s in serious condition and has had multiple surgeries to repair fractures in his back,” said Chief Bud Webster, of the Glencoe Volunteer Fire Department.
Webster says the injured firefighter is out of surgery and is awake, talking and in good spirits.
He says the truck is a complete loss.
“It does put us down a little bit. That truck was a significant firefighting piece for us for our county. We used it primarily for rural firefighting activities,” said Webster.
He guessed the price tag to replace it will be around $500,000.
The department does have other trucks they will rely on more in the meantime, and other neighboring counties are assisting when needed.
The lack of fire hydrants in the area means their trucks are a little different than others.
“All of our trucks haul more water than the average fire truck we need every piece of water we can get. With us being down 1,500 gallons of water on that truck, we’ll probably likely increase mutual aid for other tankers to that area,” Webster added.
The loss is hitting the 16-man department a little harder than other bigger departments.
“Any loss to equipment is something — that we have to get replaced soon because, if not, it’s going to affect people’s homes, their properties and it could affect a life,” he said.
Webster says, hopefully, they will soon begin the process of replacing that truck after talking with the insurance company, and it could take up to two years to get a truck built and outfitted with the proper equipment.
That process is just getting started.
The accident happened Saturday.
