Two trucks from two different Grady County (OK) fire stations were struck by cars while responding to a vehicle fire on the H.E. Bailey Turnpike last week, reports chickashanews.com.
Around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Pioneer Fire Station was called to the vehicle fire at mile marker 67, officials say. The department’s brush truck and engine were in the emergency turn-around at mile marker 65, with both deploying their lights and sirens.
The brush truck made the turn, but the engine was hit from behind by a Dodge Challenger that failed to yield, the report says.
Traffic was then diverted to the shoulder before a Nissan Altima rear-ended an on-scene Ninnekah truck, all the while fire officials were trying to finagle the AirEvac’s helicopter landing, according to the report.
Pioneer firefighter Jeremy Unruh, 23, of Cement, was transported by Apache EMS to Grady Memorial where he was treated and released for a head injury. The truck’s driver, Richard Gortney, 53, of Chickasha, was not injured, the report says.
The driver of the Dodge, Wendy Flowers, 50, of Topeka (KS) was transported by AirEvac to OU Medical Hospital, where she was admitted with internal and leg injuries. No injuries were reports for the Ninnekah truck, the Nissan Altima, or the vehicle fire, according to the report.
“I believe everyone involved is or will be okay, but things could’ve ended up much worse,” The Cement Volunteer Fire Department writes on Facebook.
Both apparatus were damaged and are being inspected.