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Off-duty Mont. firefighter hit by vehicle while helping at crash scene

The firefighter was on his way home when the vehicle in front of him crashed into a ditch

By FireRescue1 Staff

POLSON, Mont. — A volunteer firefighter was injured after being struck by a vehicle while aiding a crash victim Monday.

Polson Rural Fire Chief Paul Laisy said the firefighter was on his way home when the vehicle in front of him crashed. As the firefighter pulled over, another passing vehicle hit his truck and dragged it 30 to 40 feet, reported NBC Montana.

Both the firefighter and the two drivers sustained minor injuries.

“Once you’re out of control sliding you can’t pick what you hit,” Chief Laisy said. “It happens more often than we’d like.”

Officials said the winter conditions contribute to a spike in vehicle crashes. “People just get on the road, and they get going, and they’re not leaving themselves enough time to get from point A to point B, so the weather conditions are causing people who are driving too fast to go off the road,” Montana Highway Patrol Sergeant Shawn Smalley said.