Firefighter charged in VA crash between responding engine & septic truck
Previously: Septic truck collides with responding fire engine in Virginia
Sunday’s crash in James City County, Virginia between a responding fire engine and a septic tank truck has resulted in a firefighter being charged with reckless driving. According to wydaily.com, James City County Police spokeswoman Stephanie Williams says 32-year-old Christopher D’Annibale, a career firefighter, failed to obey a red light. The crash injured two firefighters and two civilians.
The news about the reckless driving charge appears to back up the account of the septic truck driver’s wife who posted on Facebook the day after the crash.
Williams confirmed the Anderson’s Corner intersection has an Opticom – a device that automatically changes the traffic lights in favor of the emergency vehicle entering the intersection.
Despite the Opticom, Williams confirmed the septic truck had a green light and the fire truck did not at the time of the crash.
Catlett said he could not comment on the Opticom’s function during the Sunday crash, but said in general, the system is a “tool” used by firefighters, but not “something we ultimately depend on.”
