Fire engine struck while crews battle vehicle fire near Moses Lake; driver injured
A driver hit the back of a Grant County Fire District 5 fire engine while firefighters were actively fighting a vehicle fire on SR 17. The driver sustained injuries and was transported to Samaritan Hospital. No first responders were injured.
COURTESY PHOTO/GRANT COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT 5
MOSES LAKE — A driver was injured Monday evening after a passenger vehicle collided with a fire engine that was helping protect firefighters battling a vehicle fire on SR 17 north of Moses Lake, authorities said.
Grant County Fire District 5 crews were dispatched to a vehicle fire near milepost 62 on SR 17, about three miles north of the Larson neighborhood, and had largely extinguished the blaze when the crash occurred, Battalion Chief Travis Svilar said.
Firefighters had established a partial closure of a northbound lane while working the incident. According to Svilar, emergency vehicles were positioned to provide traffic control and protection for crews operating on the roadway. He also said emergency lights were activated.
“We had a northbound driver in a passenger car not paying attention, and they rear-ended one of our emergency vehicles,” Svilar said.
The driver of the vehicle was transported by ambulance to Samaritan Hospital for treatment, according to Svilar. The extent of the driver’s injuries was not known at press time. Svilar said all firefighters and other emergency responders at the scene were uninjured.
The fire engine that was struck had been assisting with traffic control while firefighters extinguished the burning vehicle, Svilar said.
Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said the fire engine was serving as a protective barrier for firefighters working ahead of it on the highway.
“The engine did exactly what it was intended to do, which was to protect the firefighters who were battling the fire,” Foreman said.
The collision occurred on a state highway, so the Washington State Patrol is investigating, Foreman said. WSP officials have not released information about the cause of the crash or whether any citations are expected.
Incidents involving emergency vehicles stopped along roadways pose a significant risk to first responders, Foreman said. He said that while crashes involving emergency vehicles are relatively uncommon in Grant County, similar incidents occur regularly statewide.
“One of the biggest risks to first responders is working along roadways,” Foreman said.
No additional information was immediately available.