Andy Hilk found this article in the Plainfield Patch about an accident that occurred while firefighters and police were already working an accident scene on I55 near US 30 in Plainfield.
A distracted driver who failed to see the flashing lights of four emergency vehicles on Interstate 55 sideswiped a Plainfield Fire Protection Districtfire engine Wednesday night.
Deputy Fire Chief Jon Stratton called it a “miracle” that the driver did not end up injuring any firefighters, ambulance personnel or other people at the scene, just north of U.S. 30.
The ambulance was parked in front of the fire engine, and two Illinois State Police cars were parked behind it, Stratton said. Orange cones were set up behind the police cars, he said.
The driver of the second car knocked over the cones but avoided hitting the two police cars before sideswiping the fire engine and coming to a stop, Stratton said. That he did not strike the ambulance, push the fire engine into the ambulance or hit any of the people on the scene was just luck, he said.
A spokesman for Illinois State Police District 5 said the driver of the second car, whose name was not available Wednesday night, offered no explanation other than he was “distracted.”
He was ticketed under Scott’s Law, which increases the penalties for drivers who fail to yield to emergency vehicles or cause accidents at roadside emergency scenes. Under that law, he could be fined up to $10,000 and could potentially have his license suspended.
