Firetruck Hit While Responding to Call, Second Incident in Month

A Byron Township Fire Department firetruck was struck by a vehicle while responding to an emergency call on M-6 Tuesday night, according to the department.

No one was injured in the collision, but firefighters were working without extra protective vehicles in place at the time of the incident. Two firefighters were just 20 to 30 feet away from the crash, walking back toward Squad 41.

First responders immediately jumped in to help the driver who crashed into the fire truck. Officials said all parties needed assistance getting out of their vehicles but were not seriously hurt.

Part of Growing Pattern of Highway Accidents

This incident is the latest in a series of accidents involving first responders on highways in the area. The Byron Township Fire Department noted two previous crashes involving first responders on highways, including a crash involving a Michigan State Police cruiser on M-6 in March and a fire truck on US-131 in February.

Because of this crash and the two prior incidents, the department is asking the community to take driving seriously and to think carefully about decisions being made behind the wheel.

"We're asking the community to take driving seriously and to think about the decisions being made behind the wheel," said Byron Township Fire Department officials in a social media post.

Safety Concerns at Emergency Scenes

The Byron Township Fire Department says firefighters were not using blocking vehicles to protect the firetruck from being hit. This lack of protective equipment may have contributed to the incident.

The department emphasized that these situations require extra caution from drivers who may not expect to see emergency vehicles in the roadway.

Community Asked to Pay Attention

The fire department is calling on community members to pay attention when driving, especially when approaching emergency scenes. They noted that drivers should slow down and be prepared to stop when they see emergency vehicles responding to calls.

This latest incident has the department reevaluating their safety protocols and emphasizing the need for better driver awareness in the community.

Ongoing Safety Concerns

The Byron Township Fire Department continues to work on improving safety measures for their crews responding to emergencies on roadways. They plan to review their blocking vehicle protocols and ensure all emergency scenes are properly protected.

The department hopes that increased driver awareness and better safety measures will prevent future accidents involving first responders.