INDIANAPOLIS — A man is dead and four firefighters are in the hospital following two separate crashes on Indy’s east side Saturday morning.
Around 11:20 a.m., IMPD said a speeding driver lost control, crossed the center lane and slammed into a parked semi at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and E. 30th Street, leaving a man dead.
As the fire department responded to that crash, one of their vehicles was involved in a non-fatal crash of its own near the intersection of E. 30th Street and N. Hawthorne Lane.
“A friend of mine was running through the house saying, ‘There’s a firetruck upside down! There’s a firetruck upside down!’ I got up and looked out the window and there’s a firetruck upside down,” witness David Davis recalled. “And one of the biggest ones I’ve ever seen.”
Lights flashing and sirens blaring, IFD’s tactical rescue truck was heading west on 30th Street toward the unrelated fatal crash that had just happened nearby. Hearing all the noise, another man came outside to investigate.
“When I did, I went up to the top of the bridge, and that’s when I noticed the firetrucks coming from this direction,” witness John Galada said. “One jumping the curb, and the other one coming behind him and flipping.”
John Galada saw with his own eyes what was also captured by his security camera – one fire truck leading the way as the second one behind it suddenly rolled over, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
“Had that truck that flipped over right there – got to this corner and did the same thing on this side, it probably would’ve kept going and probably wiped out my trailer,” Galada explained, pointing to the road near his home.
Galada said while this crash was a freak accident, he lives below a curve where it’s far too common, in an area with minimal signage, no lighting and a lot of speeding.
“You see that bridge embankment right behind the tree? A car hit that so hard it burst in flames,” Galada said, recalling a past incident. “This is a dangerous corner. I am so worried that I don’t want to stay here anymore.”
IFD said its truck flipped after trying to maneuver around slowed traffic and a wide-load semi that was being escorted by Indiana State Police – including Sgt. Seth Rainey.
“Our other troopers were out of the car very quickly rendering aid, seeing what was needed to be done because this happened so fast,” Rainey recalled.
An IFD spokesperson emphasized that the efforts of the ISP officers who stopped to help are greatly appreciated.
“I’m outside of my normal district area working this detail that I was on today. In my 15 years of law enforcement, I’ve never seen a fire truck roll over before. But obviously, as a well-trained Indiana State police officer, you’ve got to act quickly and that’s what all agencies involved today did,” Rainey added. “On behalf of the Indiana State Police, we wish all those parties involved today prayers and quick healing.”
IFD said all four firefighters had injuries ranging from minor to serious, but none were life-threatening. At last check, they were all recovering at the hospital.
