Two Fire Trucks Collide, 12 Injured
Posted by
Chrissie ColeOctober 25, 2009 8:51 PMTags:
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Twelve firefighters were injured in Brooklynn on Saturday when two fire trucks collided while racing to an emergency scene.
The collision caused Ladder 107 to flip on its side, while Engine 236"s truck was sent careening into a wall on Ashford Street in East New York.
While rescuers worked to free Firefighter Robert Puppa, Ladder 107’s driver, from the rig, the 11 other firefighters were taken to area hospitals with less serious injuries.
Puppa was trapped for about two hours a s crews worked to cut through the steering panel to free him. He was finally pulled through the windshield of the 35-ton truck as onlookers cheered.
Puppa and his commanding officer, Lt. Kevin Washington, were transported to Brookdale Hospital where they were treated for serious leg injuries.
The trucks were on separate streets and collided at the intersection as they made their way to a reported gas leak a block away, according to a source.
The cause of the accident, as well as the accident itself, is under investigation. Weather appears to be one possible factor.