A Town of Watertown fire truck barreled through five front yards and slammed into two utility poles on Washington Street Tuesday morning after the driver lost consciousness while heading back to the station. The crash shut down a stretch of the busy roadway and left one of the poles dangling from its own wires above the street.
Officials said the fire truck was returning from a call near Salmon Run Mall when the driver blacked out behind the wheel, according to WWNY. The station reported that the passenger attempted to revive the driver as the truck veered off course. The vehicle first struck a pole at the intersection of Washington Street and Bowers Avenue before cutting through five residential front yards and hitting a second pole near Haley Street.
The pole near Bowers Avenue was completely sheared off and left hanging from its wires above Washington Street, according to nny360.com. The second pole was hit at the corner of Haley and Washington, and the crash drew a large rescue presence as firefighters converged on the scene, per the same outlet's reporting.
Driver Hospitalized, Conflicting Reports on Injuries
The driver was taken to Samaritan Medical Center following the crash. Town of Watertown Fire Chief Joseph Simpson said the driver later regained consciousness, the station's report noted.
Accounts differ on how many people were hurt in the crash. Authorities told nny360.com that two people were on the fire truck and that two people were injured, while the other outlet reported that the firefighter in the passenger seat was checked at the scene and did not require medical attention. Officials have not released the names of either firefighter involved.
Road Closed, Truck Out of Service
Washington Street was closed from Bowers Avenue to Ward Street as crews worked the scene and dealt with the downed utility lines. Chief Simpson said the damaged fire truck was left inoperable for the time being, according to the station's report.
