At 01:59 Wednesday morning a full alarm was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident with entrapment and fire on I-10 in the area of mile post 249.5 (Orange Grove rd). BC 331, EC331, engines 331, 332, and 333, along with two ambulances responded to a call at the request of Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS).
DPS was in the process of a DUI traffic stop, and determined probable cause to detain the suspect. The suspect was placed in the back seat of the rear DPS cruiser for further processing. Shortly after the female was placed in the back seat of the DPS vehicle, an unidentified male drove his vehicle into the scene and collided with the rear of the police cruiser with the detained female. The male was driving at freeway speeds and did not yield to the warning lights. The DPS officers sustained minor injuries from flying debris but were able to extricate the driver of the vehicle that impacted the rear of the DPS cruiser. The female in the back seat of the DPS cruiser was unable to be extricated by the officers on scene, and succumbed to her injuries and the resulting fire. The driver of the vehicle that rear-ended the DPS cruiser was transported to the local trauma center for further treatment and evaluation.
The DPS cruiser was a Ford Crown Victoria equipped with an automatic fire suppression system. It was unclear if the system was working properly.
The fire was suppressed by the engine companies on scene while Utility 333 supplied lighting, and Rehab 335 provided other essential services to all personnel on scene.
The westbound freeway was closed for hours in order to complete a thorough investigation.
Later in the morning Engine 331 crews were called back to the scene for extrication of the victim. The incident underscores the importance of roadway safety to public safety personnel in addition to the civilians that are part of the emergency scene. Emergency vehicles need to be staged in a manner which they provide for maximum scene safety.
DPS was in the process of a DUI traffic stop, and determined probable cause to detain the suspect. The suspect was placed in the back seat of the rear DPS cruiser for further processing. Shortly after the female was placed in the back seat of the DPS vehicle, an unidentified male drove his vehicle into the scene and collided with the rear of the police cruiser with the detained female. The male was driving at freeway speeds and did not yield to the warning lights. The DPS officers sustained minor injuries from flying debris but were able to extricate the driver of the vehicle that impacted the rear of the DPS cruiser. The female in the back seat of the DPS cruiser was unable to be extricated by the officers on scene, and succumbed to her injuries and the resulting fire. The driver of the vehicle that rear-ended the DPS cruiser was transported to the local trauma center for further treatment and evaluation.
The DPS cruiser was a Ford Crown Victoria equipped with an automatic fire suppression system. It was unclear if the system was working properly.
The fire was suppressed by the engine companies on scene while Utility 333 supplied lighting, and Rehab 335 provided other essential services to all personnel on scene.
The westbound freeway was closed for hours in order to complete a thorough investigation.
Later in the morning Engine 331 crews were called back to the scene for extrication of the victim. The incident underscores the importance of roadway safety to public safety personnel in addition to the civilians that are part of the emergency scene. Emergency vehicles need to be staged in a manner which they provide for maximum scene safety.
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