Firefighters Hurt in California Crash - Firehouse.com Wildland Firefighting
Thankfully they were all wearing their seat belts!! Here is hoping for a speedy recovery for all of the members involved! Click on the map above to link to a podcast, slideshow and video of the rescue.
BIG BEAR LAKE - A U.S. Forest Service truck plunged off Highway 18 on Monday morning, tumbling nearly 300 feet down a mountainside before splitting in two. Eight firefighters were injured.
The California Highway Patrol is still trying to figure out what caused the 9:50 a.m. accident. They have ruled out speeding and mechanical failure.
The driver lost control of the white crew transport as it rounded a corner near the Arctic Circle, close to Big Bear Dam. The vehicle bounced off the guardrail, causing the driver to stomp on the brakes.
More than 50 feet of wide black skid marks darted off the asphalt where the rig plowed through the rail, rolled onto its side and careened over the hillside.
The impact ripped off the hood, which came to rest on a small ridge just below the highway. The cab split from the chassis as it came down the mountain, stopping upright against a tree.
"It's not fatal, and that's what we're thankful for," said Tracey Martinez, spokeswoman for San Bernardino County Fire Department. "They're extremely lucky and very blessed they didn't receive major, major injuries."
Two firefighters initially listed in serious condition were flown to Loma Linda University and Arrowhead Regional medical centers.
One, who dislocated his shoulder, was sent home late Monday. The other, who suffered a dislocated pelvis, was expected to spend the night in the hospital.
Six firefighters, including the driver, received minor injuries and were taken to Bear Valley Community Hospital. They were trying to help the CHP piece together what happened.
The Heaps Peak crew, firefighters who rappel from a helicopter, was driving east on the 18 for their morning briefing when the vehicle went off the road, said Forest Service spokesman John Miller.
