Fire engine crashes into building after trying to avoid car while responding to a reported fire. Rockville Centre, NY S Long Beach Rd. 3/1/24 First video survailence video www.groganphotos.com
I would say blame is on both parts. SUV didn't even come to a full stop at the stop sign, but the engine shoulda been slowing down to clear the intersection. So much for "due regard." When I was in the fire service, they always told us, "if you can't drive the apparatus to the scene safely, don't drive it at all."
As a recently retired professional FF with 34 year's service, and a former driving instructor, the fault goes both ways here. The car driver was obviously not using their mirrors, and the apparatus driver swerved left, not expecting a left turn, UNLESS, the car driver used their turn signal. When I used to drive fire trucks, if we got a report of a fire or a person not breathing, I didn't drive as if I was going to visit Gramma. I busted my a$$ to get over there ASAP, just like the driver in this video. But I was always taught as a truck & bus driver, if a vehicle suddenly crossed your path, DON'T SWERVE! Hit the brakes, steer straight, and take out the car.
As a semi driver of 27 years, I hold the same philosophy. Sorry folks, but I don't swerve because people die when large vehicles lose control, and then it's my fault for all the trauma.
Everyone reacting emotionally blaming at the white suv, could easily panicked watching the huge thing coming behind, and that residential area speeds are slower
I see the white SUV decide to turn instead of staying put with an approaching emergency vehicle. The lights, siren, and horn do not mean go ahead and finish what you are planning to do.
As a fire fighter myself I would never say that this couldn't have happened to me. Not sure if the SUV had their left blinker on. If not, it may have looked like the car was simply slowing down to let the fire truck pass on the left.
@7477238 not sure if you read or understood my comment. I was simply trying to take the perspective of the fire fighter and what it may have looked like from his pov. Yes, the white car turned left, but rather suddenly. Once they turned left it was too late to avoid a collision.
@7477238 stating the obvious... great. Did they get to the scene? No... When driving an emergency vehicle you always have to expect the stupidity of others. Being involved in a crash - whoever or whatever caused it - isn't helping anyone. All I was saying is that this could have happened to me, too. Also I could have misinterpreted the slowing down as "great, he noticed me and is pulling over".
Totally the white car’s fault! Hope no one was hurt, and hope this did not mean that help was delayed at whatever emergency the truck was on its way to!
Can't tell in the video if the fire truck has on lights and sirens. If they didn't, it all the trucks fault. They should also be anticipating people to do stupid things and not paying attention.
The driver of the fire apparatus must operate the vehicle with due regard, this means that even with lights and siren they must operate at a safe speed and anticipate things such as a car not moving to the right for them
And the speed limit is 30 MPH, which means they were doing anywhere from the speed limit to the max allowed in most jurisdictions, which is 10 over. Meaning they were not driving with reckless abandon making this the SUV drivers fault for not obeying the law and moving to the right to be clear of the engine, most likely because they were not paying attention or are too self-absorbed to care.
@@Stargazzer811nope, the engine driver is 100% at fault. When responding lights and sirens we need to give the public time to hear us, see us and then react to our presence, we have to assume they’re going to do something unexpected in front of us. Yes it might cost 10-15 seconds, but losing that 10-15 seconds is definitely better than the rig not getting to the call at all, not to mention possibly killing anyone on the sidewalk or in that building.
@Jimmythefish577 there's a difference between factual and legal responsibility. Factually both the engineer and the driver of the SUV share fault. Legally, however, the SUV driver is at fault. While operating an emergency vehicle you have to drive with "due regard" which I believe they were. It would be unreasonable for them for them not to pass other vehicles when running code because a driver might do something like this. It is on the other drivers on the road to pull to yield and pull to the right. That's why if someone does not do that they can be cited for "failure to yield to an emergency vehicle" since they are required to do so.
While we cannot be sure exactly what speed the engine was going, we can safely say they were going a minimum of the speed limit. South Long Beach road has a speed limit of 30 MPH (a speed limit sign is approx. 1 block down from where this crash happened), so the engine was doing at least that, and at most 10 over which is what most jurisdictions allow for any emergency vehicle. The white SUV had no turn signal on and was not moving over to allow the engine to pass, which is failure to yield to an emergency vehicle under the law. Additionally the driver of the SUV was probably not paying attention due to a cellphone or simply being too self-absorbed to care (pretty common anymore honestly). The only issue I see here is that the engineer swerved left instead of right. Going right would have clipped the rear of the SUV and spun it, but ultimately everyone would be ok. Instead the engine is gonna be out for 6 months to have its entire front end repaired, provided the frame isn't bent. If the frame is bent, that engine company is gonna be running a spare for a few years, because it'll take that long for the brand new replacement to come in unless they buy a used engine off another company on Long Island.
Retired truck driver here I always drove with the mindset that a straight line is the way I am going in a situation caused by a smaller vehicle , deer etc I have seen too many accidents caused by trying to avoid another smaller vehicle / animal where human life is not at stake May the bleeding hearts now comment I was no way any kind of an aggressive driver but you need a mindset that will keep your truck upright
@@garybarber-td9py You're not wrong, it is better to avoid swerving and clip the smaller vehicle. That was the only thing the engineer did wrong here too, was swerve. But thats more of an honest human reaction. Not everyone will do it, but many will regardless of training.
I too taught EVOC and stressed to my students "Due regard for the safety of others" In this case not so much. If you don't get there you are not helping anyone. Slow down boys and girls
This reminded me of the January 9, 2009 incident in Boston that killed Lt. Kevin Kelley. Coming back from a medical call the rear-mount ladder truck (Ladder 26) lost it's brakes and careened into a day care center. I once lived on that street (Parker Hill Avenue), and it is one of the steepest hills in the city. I also used to "joy ride" on that rig years previous, alongside Kevin, and never considered I could get killed like that.
The caption under the video said Fire Engine Crashes Into Building Responding To Reported Fire. I watched the video but that building wasn't responding to anything. Clearly the Fire Truck was the only thing moving.
As a Volunteer Firefighter, who was qualified to drive apparatus of all sizes and ambulance, to this day I remember the Defensive Driving Course that was given to all of us who were responsible for driving not only the apparatus but our personal vehicles to calls. Yes, the car did not yield, but the driver of the apparatus was not "watching out for the other guy" that was taught in our Defensive Driving Course.
I saw this very same type of accident with a fire truck, which happened in Philadelphia, no one was hurt. What a miracle, all because of a driver not paying attention.
You don't usually have to check behind you to turn left lol. What they failed to do was yield and pull over to the right for an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens on.
@BrantTheResidentCalvinist did you even read and understand the comment you responded to? The reaction of the driver of the fire truck saved the driver of the white SUV from injury or death.
When you see a little white car ahead of you while you're racing to a fire, never assume he or she is going to turn, stand still, or even reverse, slam on your brakes and approach and pass with caution and then proceed.
Single lane road each direction. Heavily traveled roadway. Traffic all day... White suv totally at fault. Supposed to yield and pull to the right. Chauffeur of the engine could've t boned the white suv turning left.
Was the driver of the white car distracted texting or talking on the phone, and did not hear the siren??? Maybe they should start looking in the rear view mirror when making a left turn, with no turning lane. Has saved my A$$ in the past.
There's ZERO reason to look in your rear view mirror when making a left turn on a two lane street. Having said that, you should be looking in your mirror every 5-10 seconds so you know what's behind you, but not while turning, because you already have to check two directions.
Failure to stop violation for the white car. Cops should also issue a careless driving citation for the white car and check cell phone use along with complete drug & alcohol testing. Praying that no one is injured.
I have been in Accidents Responding to Calls that were caused by Ignorant, Careless Drivers. I was at a Mobile Home Fire and a Careless Driver ran into the Back of Our Tanker. Said She was Looking at Her Phone. She got Several Tickets That Night totalling Over $2,500.
I did not see a "Building Responding To Reported Fire". Looks like the building was just sitting there minding it's own business when the fire truck ran into it.
Did they ever?? it's sad when emergency vehicles have to go against traffic because no one knows how to pull over. it's even worse when in 41 years almost no one has ever pulled over. Almost.
Any interviews? I’d love to hear the story from the driver of the white 4wheeler explaining how they never did see or hear that huge truck blaring an emergency siren.
The fire truck: Destroyed The parked Jeep: Demolished The building: Detritus The Lexus that caused the crash: Moderate sideswipe damage. 2 new doors and some body work done to the rear quarter panel and it'll be up and running again in 5-10 business days. Falling upwards caught on film; rich enough to afford a Lexus, reckless enough to cause all that, and lucky enough to come out with the least amount of damage.
Thats impressive the speed that truck was doing when it hit the biulding and little damage that was done to the truck that could literally had been pulled out and have just carried on Good to see that 444 will be fix in no time the same can't be sed for the biulding tho
They are always complain about how slow I drive but I'm going to get us there without harming myself, my crew or other people. This is never a perfect example of just because you think they can hear you doesn't mean they can see you or will respond appropriately.
Fire truck operator at fault. Traveling WAY TOO FAST, PASSING ON LEFT in town without giving adequate warning. There's no emergency worth the recklessness displayed here. Yes, they may have sirens and lights on - but until the operator verifies that others have given him/her the right-of-way, he needs to assume that a collision is possible/imminent.
that white car clearly was at fault for this incident and is gonna have to pay for all the damages to the building the fire truck and the black car the fire truck hit and the driver of the white car is likely to loose there license for this as well and take a big hit on there insurance to pay for the damages as well as money out of there own pocket
by the time the car was turning left, the truck was almost to the rear bumper of the car. it takes a while for a heavy vehicle to stop, maybe the driver thought to use that space to slow down before making impact 🤷🏼♂️
This almost happened to me recently because of a firetruck , failing to stop for a red light while they were on an emergency run. Even with lights and siren your still required to obey traffic signals. Your requesting right of way for an emergency.
the white car cut the line because he/she never looked into back mirrors - nothing like a red light - hope that when you'll be in need of them, they'll have to follow your rules, and cannot be next to you quickly enough... enjoy your little "i'm the king of the road"
@@IconeOfFaith the fire apparatus should have not passed the car until they were sure it was going to yield. They assumed the car saw and heard them, which clearly they didn't. They are driving 35,000 lbs that doesn't stop quickly and cannot be turned at high speed, at a rate of speed that is above normal for the street, much faster than other traffic. The car failed to yield and was in the wrong, but whoever is driving the fire truck needs defensive driving training. This accident shouldn't have happened
@@juliogonzo2718 sure - then you'll say that emergency vehicules stopped on the highway during emergencies don't need the safe line, because you're a too good driver.. you must be a drill instructor of some kind I guess, or safety officer at least. you should give driving courses to firefighters - or guess what, open your own youtube channel dedicated to teach them what to do and what not to do. see ya
@@IconeOfFaith I could 100% drive a fire truck. I have been driving trucks that size and bigger since I was 20. If it was me I wouldn't have been in this accident because I would not have passed that car in an oncoming lane without being 100% sure it was aware of my presence and was pulling over. I sure hope you don't drive emergency vehicles because you would be a liability
ironically the were 2 accidents involving fire trucks within 12hrs of each other just last month where I'm at. We had an ice storm and it was a pain in the ass. especially when you drive a ladder truck. I even saw 4 "electric company" trucks with chains... AND EVEN THEY HAD TROUBLE DRIVING!!!!!!!
I zoomed in at 400%, and you can clearly see that the white SUV did not have their turn signal on. But I bet the radio was on and the cell phone was in use. That would explain the late Left panic turn.
-No turn signal -Didnt pull over and stop for emergency vehicle -Was more concerned about making their left first instead of having to wait for a fire truck -Is an SUV driver Revoke their licence immediately and impound their vehicle.
Emergency or not, a vehicle still has to be driven at a safe speed. Flying down a residential street that has a 15mph speed limit, is not exactly "safe". No red lights on and can bet no siren.
@@TomManning-cs4elhow do u not see and hear lights and sirens?? most important thing when driving is to pay attention to surroundings and keep your head on a swivel (which the white car didnt at all)
The white car had the right-of-way regardless of lights and sirens. The fire truck driver was clearly driving too fast. I am guessing he assumed the driver of the white vehicle was holding for him, which was not the case. I have 30+ years of accident investigation, and served on a volunteer ambulance corps. Defensive driving is the highest priority of the first response driver.
@@tomfrederick6083 When an emergency vehicle is coming, the white car by state law should stop and move to the right lane. I do agree that the fire engine driver seem to be driving a little fast and should have use defensive driving. I always did that when I was in the fire dept. Appears white car didn't use left turn indicator.
@tomfrederick6083. I understand right of way and asking for permission and all of that. My comment was simply posted to point out that today’s drivers are clueless as to what to do and the vast majority are not paying attention to what they need to be watching!
The white car is obviously at fault. They started turning left in front of the on coming engine who in turn tried to swerve to avoid the dodo head in the clouds driver. I hope noboby got hurt.
The fire truck was not of control. Driving fast, yes but if that was your house, you would want the fire truck responding fast. Anyways those trucks are extremely heavy and lights and siren on. White car should have pulled to the right. Decided to take the left as truck was fast approaching. No way in hell that fire truck could stop in time with the weight it was carrying. He had 2 options, rear end the white car or go around and hope it turns out well. It didn’t. White car should be cited for failing to pull over for an emergency vehicle. It’s in every RMV book. It’s says pull over not turn off.
@@williammason8566 he was swearing into on coming traffic and he was traveling at a speed to person couldn't react to him.... and I ve been on engine and truck and Alot of distracted drivers
@TomManning-cs4el what oncoming traffic? What color was the vehicle he swerved into. U making things up thats just not there. Besides in your world if he swerved into oncoming traffic, the white car would have been t boned he was crossing that lane of travel.