FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – Three people were taken to the hospital following a violent overnight crash in Fort Lauderdale that involved one of the city’s fire trucks and shut down several blocks of a major roadway for hours.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the two-vehicle wreck at the intersection of West Broward Boulevard and Northwest Seventh Avenue, at around 4:15 a.m. on Wednesday.
Witnesseses said a white car had the green light and was traveling down Seventh Avenue when a black car traveling on Broward Boulevard ran the red light and T-boned the white car.
Witnesses said the impact caused the white car to spin out of control and strike a FLFR truck that was waiting to turn left at the intersection.
Less than two hours later, an aerial view of the crash captured the two civilian vehicles involved with significant damage.
It appears crews had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate the occupants of the white car. The black sedan showed extensive front-end damage, and the front bumper of the fire engine lay on the pavement.
Officials said none of the firefighters on board the truck were injured. Instead, they quickly jumped into action and helped the victims in the other two vehicles involved.
“You know, it’s a unique situation to have firefighters or have a rescue truck that’s on scene when this takes place and able to immediately begin that extrication,” said FLFR Chief Stephen Gollan. “Normally, our response time is about six minutes or so, and every minute counts during a traumatic event like this, so there’s no doubt that the ability for the crews to immediately jump into action, immediately begin that extrication and render that care contributed to the life-saving of the individual in that car.”
Paramedics transported the adult victims to the trauma center at Broward Health Medical Center. Their conditions are unknown.
Back at the scene of the crash, 7News cameras captured a crime scene technician putting a bottle of alcohol that she pulled out of the black car into a brown paper bag.
Officials said the paramedics in the fire truck involved in the crash were able to call another fire rescue vehicle to come within minutes and deliver whole blood to administer to the victims who suffered traumatic injuries. The fire department started using whole blood two weeks ago, and this crash marks the first time they were able to administer it during a trauma situation.
First responders shut down Broward Boulevard in both directions between Seventh and Ninth avenues for several hours. The roadway has since reopened to traffic.
7News has reached out to Fort Lauderdale Police for more information.
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