Chaos erupted on Chicago's South Side Saturday afternoon when a car smashed into a firetruck, seriously injuring six people, including five firefighters. The crash occurred around 4:20 p.m. at the intersection of 47th and State Streets in Bronzeville as the firetruck was responding to an emergency call. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the truck had its lights and siren activated at the time of the collision.
Witnesses at the scene described the impact as catastrophic. "The sound was like a bomb," Rickey Dawson told ABC7 Chicago, recounting the event that left the white Chevy Impala 'mangled together' with the firetruck and its front end caved in. Dawson was walking nearby and saw the 30-year-old driver of the Impala get quickly taken away on a stretcher. "He thought he could beat them, but as a result, he couldn't beat them," said Dawson, highlighting the driver's miscalculation in judgment against the oncoming emergency vehicle.
The driver of the car, whose identity has not been made public, was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition. Meanwhile, the firefighters were sent to local hospitals for evaluation of injuries that were reportedly not life-threatening. Details on the nature and extent of the injuries have yet to be released, and it remains unclear if the driver will receive any citations for the incident.
As of now, no further information has been made available about the circumstances leading up to the crash or the ongoing investigation. Police confirmed to ABC7 Chicago that the fire truck had its emergency equipment activated and "dragged" the car down the street after the impact. The community is left rattled by the crash, and procedures and protocols around emergency vehicle intersections may need to be more closely examined to better ensure public safety and prevent future tragedies of this nature.
