Elm City firemen involved in crash

05/27/2007

William Kaempffer , Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — Two firefighters were recovering at home after a serious crash involving their fire ambulance early Saturday. Firefighters John Truhart and Anthony Bolden were treated and released after their unit, Emergency 1, one of two Fire Department ambulances, was involved in an accident while responding to a call.

It happened shortly after 12 a.m., moments after they were dispatched to a medical call on the far side of the city from their station on Woodward Avenue. The crash happened less than 40 yards from the firehouse at the intersection of Woodward and Forbes avenues.

"They're shaken up, bruised up, but no substantial injuries at all," Fire Chief Michael Grant said Saturday. "That's our primary concern."

The medical call was on Goffe Terrace for a report of a pedestrian struck by hit-and-run driver. The ambulance sustained significant damage and the fire department was assessing whether it was salvageable.

It's been several years since the New Haven department had a significant accident and this one happened at a particularly poignant time. On Friday, roughly three dozen city firefighters traveled to Waterbury for the funeral of fire Capt. John Keane, who had been critically injured last Saturday when two fire trucks collided while responding to a kitchen fire in that city. Seven other firefighters were injured.

Grant had returned Friday evening from Wisconsin after he, Assistant Chief Ralph Black and Master Mechanic Tony Capone completed a final inspection on two new fire engines the city ordered.

His phone rang early Saturday. "That's the first question: Is everyone all right?"

The department has a reserve ambulance to replace the damaged unit.

Police did not release any information Saturday on the cause of the crash. The driver of the second vehicle sustained non-life threatening injuries.