Firefighters seriously hurt in fire truck crash
Several firefighters are fighting for their lives at the hospital after a fire truck overturned in a crash on a California freeway.
IRVINE, Calif. – An Orange County Fire Authority truck carrying firefighters who were on their way back from battling the 23,000-acre Airport Fire had overturned on an Irvine freeway.
The call came in just before 7 p.m. Thursday on State Route 241 near the Tomato Springs Toll Plaza. The crew members inside the flipped-over fire truck had just finished a 12-hour shift from responding to the Airport Fire, according to OCFA during a Sept. 19 press conference update.
The crash left eight people hurt, one of them needing to be airlifted out of the scene. Six of the eight patients are believed to have suffered serious injuries, possibly critical conditions.
The crash is believed to have stemmed from the fire truck trying to dodge a ladder that ended up on the road.
At least 8 hurt after fire truck flips over
At least eight firefighters were hurt after a fire truck flipped over in Orange County.
Images from SkyFOX showed what appeared to be an OCFA truck turned over, blocking multiple lanes. During the earlier stages of the investigation, the California Highway Patrol initially thought the vehicle was an ambulance.
The CHP issued a SigAlert for at least five hours for the northbound lanes of the 241. It is unknown when the roads will fully reopen.