MONTEREY, Miss. — A 22-year-old volunteer firefighter was injured when a car crossed a center line and forced a fire truck off the roadway Sunday afternoon.
MSNewsNow.com reported that the truck was driven by injured firefighter Benjamin Haskins, with the Monterey (Miss.) Volunteer Fire Department, while responding to an alarm call.
The truck ran off the roadway, hit a tree and overturned, according to the report.
Fire officials said firefighter Haskins was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and was listed in critical condition.
“He’s a really good kid. You know, he strives. He wants to help people, and this is just tragic,” said Wendy McKnight, a friend of Haskins’. “I’m praying for a full recovery, and wish people would just realize that we’re risking our lives to save somebody we don’t know. So when we’re responding to something, pay attention to lights and sirens. This could have been avoided easily.”
Friends said Haskins is expected to make a full recovery and the accident is under investigation.