Four members of Dallas Fire Rescue are injured after a fire engine hydroplaned and fell from the I-345 expressway Sunday morning, officials said.
DALLAS — Four Dallas firefighters were injured after a fire engine drove off Interstate 345 onto DART Tracks below the roadway, officials said.
The incident occurred just after 6 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 345 and South Good Latimer Expressway, officials said in a release. Four members of Dallas Fire-Rescue were transported from the scene to Baylor University Medical Center, officials said.
Preliminary investigations found that Dallas Fire Rescue Engine 11 hydroplaned, lost control, and went off the bridge, falling to the DART tracks below, according to a release from Dallas Police.
Engine 11 was on its way to a fire call when it happened. Sources said multiple engines were on the way to the initial fire call, including Engine 18 when they saw the plume of dust after Engine 11 crashed.
A Mayday call was sent out, requesting more help.
Engine 11 landed on its right side, sources said, leaving the front passenger trapped and severely injured. A longtime Dallas Fire-Rescue lieutenant was in that seat. Jaws of life were used to get him out. The lieutenant remains in the ICU as of Monday.
The three other firefighters in the engine were sent home Sunday afternoon.
Portions of Interstate 345, South Good Latimer Expressway, Routh Street and the DART rail system were closed to all traffic, officials said. Parts of I-345 have reopened to traffic, but DART said the rails were significantly damaged.
Repairs are underway and could go into Wednesday evening. While repairs are happening, roads are closed from the Southbound North Central Expressway to San Jacinto Street on Routh/Good Latimer.
Power and DART services are out in the Central Business District as a result of the crash, according to a release from DART. Train traffic at six stations, Cityplace/Uptown, Deep Ellum, Pearl/Arts District, West End, EBJ/Union and Victory, is stopped according to the release.
Bus shuttles are servicing the stations in place of the rail service to help passengers make connections to other stations, the release states. Passengers should look for DART personnel for support, officials said.
An investigation into the crash, led by Dallas Police, is ongoing, DART said. Once the investigation is complete, DART will begin to make repairs, the release states.
“The crash resulted in severe damage to the DART system which will take a significant amount of time to repair,” the release states. “During this time, passengers should expect significant delays and should be mindful of signage and directions from DART personnel.”
This is a developing story, WFAA will update you with the latest
