By Kevin Coughlin
A Morris Township fire truck was traveling at an “unsafe speed” when it crashed in Morristown last month, according to Morristown police.
The fire engine was heading west on Lafayette Avenue, in the center lane, at 9:36 pm on Feb. 21, 2017, when an unidentified vehicle from the left lane cut in front of the truck without signaling, driver Michael Zucker, 40, told police.
The fireman said he hit the brakes, which locked up. The fire truck skidded 160 feet, jumped a curb, and hit a tree on the cab’s passenger side, partially detaching the truck’s front axle, according to a report filed by Morristown Patrolman Michael Alberto.
“I believe the unidentified vehicle initiated the sequence of events however I find that Vehicle 1 [the fire truck] was traveling at an unsafe speed,” Alberto said in the report.
Zucker told police he was traveling 25- to 30 mph, with flashing lights and siren on, in the 40 mph zone. No ticket was issued, according to the report, which indicated the investigation is complete.
Questions to Morristown police were referred to town Administrator Jillian Barrick. “In this case, the investigating officer did not feel that a summons was warranted,” Barrick said in a statement.
Township Fire Chief Jesse Kaar declined to comment, referring questions to Township Administrator Tim Quinn.
“We don’t comment on personnel matters,” Quinn said when asked if the police finding would result in any disciplinary action against the driver. “We will be doing an internal review.”
Zucker sustained a bruised leg and hip, and was taken to Morristown Medical Center with his passenger, fellow Firefighter Brendan McCloskey. Both men were treated and released that same night and cleared for duty, Quinn said.
The firefighters had been responding to a medical call at the time of the accident, which probably totaled the truck, an older vehicle only used when a newer one was receiving maintenance, Quinn said.
Im sure they were escorting the tow truck, was it that big of a deal?
I was literally run off the road by the caravan of vehicles towing that truck. They took up all of Normandy Heights Rd (whatever they were doing there). A cop car aggressively came up towards me on the wrong side of the road and edged me off, while the tow truck and the damaged firetruck passed by in the middle of the street. It was pretty disconcerting.
Two firefighters were responding on the fire engine without a supervisor / company officer in the front right seat? 1st problem.
The town should require dash cams on these expensive machines. For under $200, you would have an accurate record of latitude, longitude, date, time, speed and direction of travel when an event occurs.
If you only knew…
Why is the ba commenting on whether or not a summons was issued in this motor vehicle accident? I guess we know who runs that department.