Kevin Shea – nj.com
A Manchester fire chief was seriously injured Tuesday evening when his fire vehicle flipped over after striking a pole while returning from a call, Manchester police said.
Brian Flanagan, 43, was airlifted from the scene to Jersey Shore University Hospital in Neptune Township following the 10 p.m. crash, Manchester police said in a statement. Flanagan is a chief with the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department.
His injuries were later found to be non-life threatening.
The crash occurred on westbound County Route 571 (also called Ridgeway Road) near the intersection with Richard Road, about a third of a mile from the fire station.
When police officers arrived, Flanagan was trapped in the vehicle, which was partially suspended by low-voltage wires. Firefighters from several area companies joined Ridgeway firefighters at the scene, and cut Flanagan free.
Police said they determined that Flanagan drifted off the road to the right, struck the pole, went airborne and pulled down a wire from a nearby home. The fire chief’s vehicle came to rest on its left side.
A snapped wire then struck a Ridgeway fire vehicle that was following Flanagan, causing minor damage to the apparatus. The driver and passenger in that vehicle were not injured.
Manchester police did not say to what incident the fire company had responded.
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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com.
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