2 firefighters nearly injured while working scene of tractor-trailer fire: ‘Very emotional rollercoaster’
Lt. Derek Hazelwood: “I saw the car was coming to us and realistically, it was very fast and had time to think this is it.”
SOUTH HILL, Va. (WWBT) - A call into the South Hill Volunteer Fire Department nearly ended in tragedy for two firefighters, who were nearly hurt while working on the scene of a tractor-trailer fire along I-85 last week.
On Dec. 8, Chief Michael Vaughan and Lieutenant Derek Hazelwood were called to the scene.
“I arrived on scene. We shut down the right shoulder and the right lane,” Chief Vaughan told 12 On Your Side. “The incident was taken care of. The fire was extinguished.”
“We saw it strike the pumper tanker. It then went back out onto the highway, it struck a tractor-trailer and then struck my command vehicle, and it was headed directly towards Derek and I,” said Chief Vaughan. “At that point, he grabbed me under my left arm and my right shoulder and shoved both of us into the tanker, and we were up against one of our trucks, and the vehicle went directly behind us.”
Virginia State Police told 12 On Your Side a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee struck two South Hill fire trucks as the car attempted to change lanes away from the trucks.
“The Jeep failed to stop and continued south on I-85,” wrote a spokesperson for Virginia State Police. “Both fire trucks had their emergency lights activated at the time of the crash.”
A few minutes after this, troopers were able to locate the driver and stop him in South Hill.
The details of these moments are still clear in the minds of Chief Vaughan and Lt. Hazelwood.
“I saw the car was coming to us, and realistically, it was very fast and had time to think, this is it. This is the time it’s going to take us out,” said Lt. Hazelwood.
“I remember saying please and thinking that there’s no way we were going to get out of this,” said Chief Vaughan. “There’s no way we’re going to make it. Derek is going to be able to tell you the same thing. I really felt like everything, even though they were at a high rate of speed, slowed down like it was in slow motion.”
Thankfully, the firefighters didn’t get hurt, but one of their fire engines is out of service for the moment due to the damage.
“This is the second fire engine this year, but this is the fifth vehicle that’s been hit on Interstate 85,” said Chief Vaughan.
Following this incident, Chief Vaughan told 12 On Your Side the fire department held an after-action review.
“It’s a very, very, very emotional rollercoaster right now for all of us, including our families,” he said. “Now we have to deal with the loss of a fire engine that’s an important piece of equipment for our community.”
By sharing their story, Chief Vaughan and Lt. Hazelwood want to urge drivers to pay attention, slow down, and move over.
“This is something that really needs to be checked to if that was your mom, your grandma, your dad, grandfather, your son, your brother, your sister. That’s what it’s about. It’s not about legislation. It’s about taking respect for other human beings,” said Lt. Hazelwood.
“We want to go home. We all want to go home,” said Chief Vaughan. “We want to protect the community, the citizens, the folks who are traveling down the highway.”
Virginia State Police told 12 On Your Side the driver in this case, identified by troopers as 51-year-old Jonathan Warren of Roxboro, N.C.
He is facing several charges in this case, including one count of hit and run, failure to stop at a crash scene, reckless driving, driving without a license, expired registration and not having insurance.
The crash is still under investigation.
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