At the end of February a fatal accident occurred in Tulsa, claiming the lives of four persons, three of which were young children. A vehicle collided with a fire truck which was responding to a structure fire. The fire truck had its lights and sirens going but the Hyundai car, driven by a 26 year old female, pulled into the intersection where it collided with the fire truck. There were three female adults and three children in the car.The 26 year old driver was in her second trimester of pregnancy but unfortunately lost her unborn baby. A five year old child also died at the hospital from her injuries, along with a 23 year old female passenger. Later a one year old child died from injuries sustained and approximately a week after the accident, the four year old child died.The 26 and 28 year old females remain in the hospital.
What a tragic accident which could have been avoided if only the driver had paid attention to the sirens and the flashing lights.
A couple of things to remember when approaching an emergency vehicle, whether it be police, fire or ambulance.
* Stay at least 500 feet behind any moving emergency vehicle displaying flashing warning lights and sounding a siren.
* Never race after an emergency vehicle to get through a traffic light.
* Never pass a moving emergency vehicle displaying flashing lights unless directed to do so by a police officer or emergency personnel.
* Give the right-of-way to any law enforcement vehicle, fire engine, ambulance, or other emergency vehicle using a siren and red lights.
* Drive to the right edge of the road and stop until the emergency vehicle(s) have passed.
* Never slam on the brakes and stop in the middle of the road when you see an emergency vehicle approaching.
* If an emergency vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction, you should pull over and
stop