Fire truck overturns in Lockwood while responding to accident (Jonathan McNiven photo)
Following an exceptionally warm month of January, the first week of February brought winter back to Big Sky Country, and with it came slick roads. On Friday, February 5, 2021, at approximately 8:07 AM, the Billings Fire Department was responding to a two-vehicle accident on I-90 westbound near mile-marker 452.
While en route to the scene, on Highway 87, the fire engine lost control. The driver over-corrected, the engine hit the curb, and the engine flipped over onto its side. There were three passengers in the engine: a captain, an engineer, and a firefighter. All passengers were wearing their seatbelts and were not injured. They were transported to the hospital as a precaution and later released.
The fire engine sustained “substantial damage”; Battalion Chief Marshall estimates that it will be totaled. “This will lower our reserve apparatus, so we will have to make sure we replace the engine as quickly as possible.” Marshall cautioned, “This serves as a reminder that when our road conditions are snowy and icy, drivers need to slow down and leave plenty of space. And please move over for emergency personnel who are trying to help other drivers.”
