12 Firefighters Injured When Two Fire Trucks Collide

Yesterday morning, two fire trucks collided in Brooklyn on Ashford Street between New Lots Avenue and Hegeman Street. A truck from Engine 236 and a truck from Ladder 107 were both responding to a gas emergency, but Engine 236's truck hit Ladder 107's at an intersection, causing Ladder 107's rig to overturn. A witness said, "It went up in the air. I could see the wheels. It spun, and then it slammed down on its side, and then it slid and stopped, wrapped in the tree. To think you could turn that thing over."

A firefighter, Robert Puppa, inside the Ladder 107 truck was pinned inside for hours. A neighbor told WCBS 2, "They were attaching the equipment so they could pull the roof of the fire engine back, getting better leverage at removing him from the vehicle. It was quite a tremendous ordeal. At one point he was screaming, 'My leg, my leg,' as they were trying to pull him out of the vehicle." The crowd cheered when he was extricated and gave the thumbs-up sign.

Puppa and Lt. Kevin Washington suffered leg injuries while at least ten other firefighters suffered minor and serious injuries. The Daily News reports, "The FDNY ruled the crash an accident but is still investigating and plans to give the drivers blood and tests, a source said."