Fire Truck Tips Over in LA Fire Response

Los Angeles Fire Department officials said two firefighters were injured on Tuesday, May 19, after a fire engine overturned in Sunland while responding to a structure fire. The crash happened at about 7 p.m. in the 8200 block of Foothill Boulevard, according to NBC Los Angeles. LAFD said both firefighters suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital for evaluation. The department said no members of the public were injured. The fire engine rolled onto its side after a multi-vehicle crash and came to rest near a storefront, according to LAFD and local television reports. Video aired by NBC Los Angeles showed the apparatus leaning as it moved through an intersection before swerving toward a business and overturning. LAFD said the identities of the injured firefighters were being withheld pending family notification. ### Where did the crash happen, and what was the fire engine doing? Sunland was the location of the crash, with authorities placing it in the 8200 block of Foothill Boulevard in the northern Los Angeles community. LAFD said the apparatus was responding to a structure fire when it was involved in the collision. CBS Los Angeles reported the crash was a multi-vehicle incident. Foothill Boulevard was closed between Scoville Avenue and McVine Avenue after the crash, CBS Los Angeles reported. The overturned engine ended up partially on a sidewalk and near a storefront, according to local reports. ### How badly were the firefighters hurt? LAFD said the two firefighters sustained minor injuries. The department said both were transported to a local hospital and were being evaluated by medical personnel. No update on their names was released Tuesday because the department said it was waiting to notify family members. No civilians were injured, LAFD said. NBC Los Angeles and CBS Los Angeles both reported that no other injuries were immediately reported at the scene. ### What do videos show about the crash? Video broadcast by NBC Los Angeles showed the fire truck leaning to one side as it entered an intersection before swerving toward an H&R Block storefront and rolling onto its side. The same report said the engine appeared to strike at least two parked vehicles before stopping. Local reports said the crash was captured on video from the area. NBC Los Angeles described the footage as showing the engine overturn in front of the business while on the emergency run. ### Which agencies are handling the response and investigation? The Los Angeles Fire Department handled the immediate emergency response and released the first public statement on the injuries. Jennifer Middleton, identified by LAFD as the department spokesperson, said in the department’s May 19 notice that further updates would be provided as more information became available. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the accident, LAFD said. The fire department’s statement did not give a cause, and local reports said details about what led to the crash were not immediately available. ### What remains unknown? LAFD did not say Tuesday what caused the engine to overturn. The department also did not identify the firefighters, citing pending family notification. Officials have not publicly detailed the condition of the apparatus or whether another vehicle entered the engine’s path before the rollover. Tuesday’s statement from LAFD was limited to the confirmed injuries, the hospital transport and the fact that the truck was responding to a structure fire. Television reports added location details and images from the scene, but neither LAFD nor police had publicly assigned fault as of the latest updates. The Los Angeles Police Department investigation is the next formal step, and LAFD said additional updates will come as more information becomes available.