Driver Airlifted to UAB Following Collision With Fire Engine in Tuscaloosa County

A driver was airlifted to UAB Hospital after a fire truck was struck while protecting the scene of an earlier traffic accident on Highway 82, according to the Sipsey Valley Volunteer Fire Department. The incident occurred Friday, June 12, while firefighters were responding to a two-vehicle crash with minor injuries just east of Echola Road in the westbound lanes of the highway. Fire officials said crews arrived to find a two-car collision and positioned Pumper 401 as a blocker vehicle to shield emergency responders and motorists from oncoming traffic while firefighters worked the scene. Approximately 27 minutes after the initial call, a 2006 Ford Focus struck the rear of the fire engine. According to the department, the driver was partially ejected from the vehicle and suffered serious injuries. Officials said the vehicle also narrowly missed a firefighter who was directing traffic at the scene. Sipsey Valley firefighters immediately began providing medical care and requested additional emergency resources, including a medical helicopter. Firefighters, along with medics from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office and NorthStar EMS, worked to extricate the driver from the wreckage. Emergency crews established a landing zone at Corinth Church, where the patient was transferred to an Air Evac helicopter and flown to UAB Hospital for treatment. No firefighters were injured in the crash. The fire department said Pumper 401 sustained moderate damage to its right rear side and was placed out of service following the collision. As crews finished clearing the accident scene, they were dispatched to another crash involving two motorcycles and a passenger vehicle near Springer Road. Fire officials are reminding drivers to remain alert and move over or slow down when approaching emergency scenes, noting that first responders often work just feet away from moving traffic