The following is a press release issued by the Butler Township Police Department:
Butler Township Police is investigating a collision between fire apparatus that were responding to a structure fire. The Luzerne County 911 Center received a report of a structure fire just before 2:30 p.m. at 171 Grouse Ridge Lane in the Beech Mountain Lakes development.
A short time later, a rescue truck from Valley Regional Fire & Rescue and a ladder truck from the Hazle Township Fire & Rescue collided at the intersection.
According to Butler Township Police Chief William J. Feissner, a preliminary investigation revealed that the rescue truck from Valley Regional entered the intersection on a steady red traffic light and began to turn left. The ladder truck from Hazle Township was traveling north on Hunter Highway and had a green traffic light, which was activated by traffic light pre-emption system on the ladder truck.
The ladder truck swerved to avoid the collision, but struck the right side of the rescue truck and then veered off, striking an embankment. The driver of the ladder truck was trapped in the vehicle for a short time before being extricated by other firefighters.
A total of six firefighters were injured — four were slightly injured and two with moderate injuries.
Five of the firefighters were transported Lehigh Valley Hospital Hazleton and one was transported to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center. Ambulances from Sugarloaf, Lehigh Valley EMS, Mountain Top, White Haven and Geisinger EMS Berwick responded to the scene.
Both vehicles had emergency lights activated at the time of the crash. The traffic light preemption system is designed to give one side of the intersection priority (a green light) while turning the other directions red. Both apparatus were damaged.
The structure on Grouse Ridge Lane was destroyed as a result of the fire. Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading to a nearby residence.
Butler Township Police are conducting the investigation. The Sugarloaf Township Police assisted at the scene as well as other regional first responders and fire police. A portion of Hunter Highway was closed down for approximately four hours as a result of the crash.
