Four firefighters are assigned to Boise Fire Department’s Truck 5. Only three were on board when the crew left the station to respond to an automatic fire alarm at Adams Elementary School.
The rig sideswiped a pick-up truck shortly after leaving Fire Station 5 on South 16th Street. No one was hurt and the truck is back in service.
The investigation is still ongoing, but officers and Boise Fire officials say it appears the ladder truck may have been at fault, being driven without one of its key personnel on board – the rear driver, Boise Police said in a release.
“When there is any kind of collision involving a citizen’s vehicle one of our fire apparatus, we take it very seriously,” said Boise Fire Chief Dennis Doan. “In this case, most importantly, we’re thankful no one was hurt.”
When officers arrived on scene, witnesses, including firefighters and the driver of the pick up told officers the ladder truck had just left Fire Station 5 at 212 S. 16th Street on an emergency call, when turning right, or east onto Grove, the tail end of the fire truck swung wide and hit the driver’s side of the Tacoma that was headed west on Grove.
In accordance with Boise City policy, both assigned drivers of the fire truck are currently being drug tested. City policy dictates any driver of a city vehicle involved in a collision that results in disabling damage of another vehicle is subject to post-accident drug testing. Boise Police officers investigating the accident say there was no indication drugs or alcohol were involved.
