MISSOULA, Mont. — Two firefighters were injured Tuesday morning when their fire truck struck a walkway fence.
The Missoulian reported that the fire truck hit a guardrail and smashed its front bumper and radiator in the crash. The two injured firefighters on the truck were taken to a hospital for a checkup, according to the report.
“I still have yet to really talk to the driver at any length about it,” Fire Chief Jason Diehl said. “But we’re going to definitely investigate what the circumstances were and if it was preventable, or what we need to do on our end to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
The engine was not totaled, and an estimate of the damage will be available by the end of the week, Chief Diehl told The Missoulian. The fire department has two reserve engines, and they will run those until they repair the broken one, according to the report.
The engine captain said an oncoming vehicle was crowding the centerline, and he tried to avoid the collision in the engine outfitted with snow chains, according to the report.
“He moved just off to the right a little bit to ensure there was enough room for the vehicle to pass, and his front tire on the passenger side just got hooked on that snow berm, and it just kind of sucked him right over onto that walkway railing,” Chief Diehl said.
The wreck didn’t involve any pedestrians, and it did not hurt the driver, according to the report.