UPI
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A fire truck manufacturer was responsible for a 1987 fire truck collision in Riverside County, Calif., that killed one firefighter, a lawsuit alleges.
Kathryn Kanton, whose husband Chris was killed in the crash, alleges in her federal lawsuit that Spartan Motors Inc. was responsible for the deadly crash since the Michigan-based company did not provide adequate upkeep of the vehicle involved, the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise said Tuesday.
Kanton’s 23-year-old husband had been stationed at Moreno Valley Station 58 when the Spartan fire truck he was riding in hydroplaned off an interstate. He was thrown from the vehicle into a nearby grove of trees and suffered fatal injuries.
A defense physics expert has alleged that the vehicle went out of control because of additional weight from a rear water tank.
Court records show that Spartan has denied the allegations, but a settlement conference has been scheduled in Los Angeles for Aug. 18, the newspaper said.
We are dedicated to designing products that improve the safety of emergency-rescue workers and have pioneered many of the innovations that have become standard in the industry,” the manufacturer said in a statement.
Copyright 2008, UPI