15 Hospitalized After Crash Involving Fire Truck

(USNewsBreak.com) – When first responders rush to a scene, they sound the sirens and turn on their flashing lights to alert other drivers to their oncoming presence. In these events, other travelers on the road typically should pull over (where possible) and let the vehicles pass. However, sometimes, the drivers miss the cues and collide with the rescue trucks as they race to help those in need. That recently happened in Florida, and the resulting accident sent more than a dozen people to the hospital.

Shortly before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 28, both a small bus and a pickup truck struck a Marion County Fire Rescue ambulance responding to a call as it passed through an intersection with sirens blaring and lights flashing. The resulting impact was so strong it sent the ambulance onto its side. Marion County Fire Rescue dispatched another one of its teams to the scene, just a minute away from the local station.

Florida fire rescue vehicle gets slammed onto its side in crash with bus, truck while responding to call https://t.co/IItFr6PJJc

— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 29, 2023

In all, the accident sent 15 people to local area hospitals. The bus involved in the accident belonged to an adult day training center, Bridge to Hope, and first responders transported 11 of the passengers and the driver for medical care. Medical responders also took Two firefighters from the damaged ambulance and the pickup truck driver to local area hospitals.

Sadly, fire trucks become involved in collisions too often. According to the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association, tens of thousands of accidents involving first responders happen annually. In fact, they happen so frequently that collisions involving fire trucks “rank as the second-leading cause of on-the-job deaths” for firemen. For police, it’s the single most significant reason.

In a post on Facebook, Marion County Fire Rescue said the incident is under investigation. It also cautioned drivers “to yield to emergency vehicles as [their] lights and sirens are on.”