Suspected Drunk Driver Hits Grand Rapids Fire Truck on US-131, No Injuries Reported Amidst Pleas for Road Safety

In Grand Rapids, an incident unfolded in the early hours of election day when a suspected drunk driver collided with a fire truck parked on US-131. As reported by

FOX 17

, the Grand Rapids Fire Department’s Utility Truck 2 was hit from behind around 1:30 a.m. while responding to a crash. The vehicle that did the hitting, its driver was subsequently arrested for operating while intoxicated. Although the specialized vehicle—designed to absorb impacts and protect emergency crew—suffered severe damage, there were no injuries reported among the first responders.

Grand Rapids Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Jack Johnson expressed relief that no one was hurt, while also underlining the inherent perils faced by fire crews. “This incident could have ended in tragedy,” he remarked on the significance of such safety devices that stand between life and limb, according to

FOX 17

. Similar sentiments were echoed in an unrelated accident that same day involving a Comstock Fire and Rescue truck, which was struck by another vehicle on Gull Road, near Sprinkle Street. No one was injured in this later accident as well.

These back-to-back incidents are stark reminders of the risks that emergency responders endure. The dangers were poignantly underscored by the death of Comstock Fire and Rescue’s Chief Ed Switalski, who was hit by a distracted driver in 2017. The harrowing truth that the guardians who rush towards our calamities are themselves not impervious to tragedy.

In a statement on their official Facebook page,

Comstock Fire & Rescue

highlighted the perils they encounter, “while parked on the scene of a motor vehicle crash on Gull Rd, east of Sprinkle Rd, unit 981 was struck by a passerbys vehicle.” They used the opportunity to remind the public about Michigan’s Move Over law, urging drivers to reduce speeds and move over for stationary vehicles with flashing lights, as a crucial measure for protecting the safety of emergency responders.

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