House trailer damaged when runaway North Franklin fire truck crashes
A house trailer was knocked off its foundation early Friday after an unoccupied fire truck rolled down a hill, crossed Scenic Drive and struck a van, which was pushed into the home.
A fire truck from North Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company struck a utility pole before pushing a van into a house trailer at 27 Scenic Drive early Friday.
No one was injured early Friday when a runaway fire truck from North Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company rolled down a hill, across Scenic Drive and into a van that was pushed into a house trailer.
North Franklin fire Chief Dave Bane said the department was called just after midnight to the U.S. Army Reserve Center 630th Transportation Co., 10 Scenic, for a fire alarm. The fire chief said some food had burned.
An unoccupied 1984 fire engine had been parked at the center when it rolled down a hill through a field and struck a utility trailer belonging to the Young Marines that had been stored on the center property. The truck then struck a utility pole, crossed the road and hit a van that was pushed into the house trailer, causing it to shift on its foundation. Bane said walls were damaged and appliances were knocked over inside the trailer.
“We are still not sure what happened,” Bane said. “We don’t know if the brakes just let loose.”
Bane said it was a good thing the fire truck hit the van, saying it acted as a buffer, instead of the house trailer. He said if someone had been sitting in the kitchen, they could have been injured.
The fire chief said the van was destroyed. He said the trailer will be inspected to determine if repairs can be made. The fire company’s insurance company will also inspect the truck. Bane said the truck is the oldest in the department’s fleet.
The light pole came down across Scenic, and West Penn Power Co. was notified, the chief added.
“The good thing is no one was hurt,” Bane said. “No one was in the truck, and no one was driving on Scenic.”
Dan Tobin, director of marketing and communication for the American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region, said the organization is assisting two adults and two children who were living in the residence with lodging, food and clothing.