FARGO (KFGO-AM) - Fargo Fire Chief Steve Dirksen says the crash involving a car that slammed into a fire truck and injured a firefighter serves as a "powerful reminder" that drivers need to slow down when they see emergency vehicles.
Dirksen says luckily, the crew member on the fire truck escaped with only minor injuries. But he says had the crash occurred 30 seconds earlier, before firefighters were inside the truck cab, "we would be talking about a whole different situation."
The fire truck had responded to an accident in the southbound lane of I-29 near 7th Avenue North Thursday night and was parked to protect the scene from additional crashes when it was hit.
Dirksen says the vehicle was traveling at highway speed and the force of the impact caused significant damage to the truck's cab and sheared off the pins that hold the suspension together.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol says the driver of the vehicle was cited for care required.