Texas fire truck struck by DWI driver, no firefighters hurt

The fire truck was blocking a lane to shield first responders who were responding to a traffic accident

By Robert Cadwallader
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

ARLINGTON, Texas — A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving early Saturday after his SUV smacked into the back of an Arlington firetruck that was blocking a lane to shield first responders at a traffic accident.

No one was injured in the incident at about 1 a.m. in the 500 block of N. Texas 360. But Lt. David Tyler, spokesman for the Arlington Fire Department, said that might not have been the case if it weren’t for the 22-ton Engine 11.

“I am very confident that the truck’s position prevented death or serious injury to the people it was protecting,” Tyler said. “Police cruisers do not have the shear mass of a fire truck to absorb the energy of such an impact.”

The front of the SUV was heavily damaged, officials said. Lt. Chris Cook, Arlington police spokesman, said the man faces a charge of driving while intoxicated. Cook said he didn’t know if bail had been set late Saturday.

The fire truck appeared to suffer little more than a nick to its back left bumper, but Tyler said officials don’t know yet if the piping for the fire pump or any equipment in the compartments was damaged. “We won’t know that until at least Monday,” he said.

Last night, Engine 11 was struck on 360 while creating a safe working zone for our police and wrecker service partners...
Posted by ArlingtonTx Fire on Saturday, March 12, 2016