Emergency crew becomes victims while responding to accident
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police say a drunk driver crashed into three first responders, who were on the scene of another collision. It happened Wednesday night around 6 p.m. off of Gray Road near Southport Road in Indianapolis.
Emergency crews were responding to a car crash on Gray Road, when Indianapolis Fire Department officials say 23-year-old Kaitlyn Michelle Carlson collided with one of the wrecked vehicles causing a firefighter to be thrown 10 feet in the air.
“He did some air time, that he flew through the air. So, we are very, very fortunate that they weren’t extensive injuries but there were not,” said IFD Deputy Chief of Operations Ken Bacon.
Police arrested Carlson for DUI. It’s just one other unnecessary thing that makes the job of a first responder more dangerous.
“What happened last night points out that it’s not always the things that people think of as being dangerous that can cause those problems,” said Bacon.
Bacon says it’s not a matter of if a firefighter will be injured, it’s a matter of when. He says last year there were 200 injuries involving fire fighters, 85 happened while responding to emergencies,
“Absolutely everything we do has risks. Responding to the scene is extremely risky. Driving through traffic on a very large apparatus with red lights and sirens. Driving responsibly, but trying to get there in as quickly as we can, to do what we do can, be very dangerous.”
That’s why Bacon urges people, although it sounds like common sense, to follow the traffic laws.
“Just as you approach any accident scene, try to be as cautious as you can. Follow directions so that you too can be safe,” he said.
All three involved have been treated and released from the hospital. One firefighter who was injured has only been on the force for a little more than a month. Bacon says they are ready to return to work, but the department has asked them to take some time to recover.
