Fire Truck Hit in Brookings County

On Valentine's Day, first responders were on Interstate 29 in Brookings County when one of the first responders' vehicles was hit by a semi.

Photo Credit: Brookings Fire Department

Pho

Snow created slippery conditions on highways throughout South Dakota on Valentine's Day, and kept police, fire, and EMS personnel busy with crashes.

The fire truck was waiting to crossover onto the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 when a car traveling in front of the semi applied breaks causing the semi behind the car to lose control. The semi then jackknifed, t-boning the fire truck. Two volunteer firefighters were taken to the emergency room in Brookings to be checked out.

The Brookings Fire Department advised the vehicle that caused this crash is not in the image.

The Brookings County Sheriff's Office shares the state law requiring motorists to slow down for stopped emergency vehicles.

SDCL 32-31-6.1. Stopped emergency vehicle Requirements for approaching vehicles Violation a misdemeanor

Upon approaching from any direction any stopped authorized emergency vehicle making use of red visual signals meeting the requirements of this title, the driver of every other vehicle shall come to a complete stop before reaching the stopped emergency vehicle and may, unless otherwise directed, proceed with caution only after ascertaining that it is safe to do so, and upon approaching from any direction any stopped vehicle making use of amber, yellow, or blue warning lights, the driver of every other vehicle shall:

(1) If driving on an interstate highway or other highway with two or more lanes traveling in the same direction as the vehicle, merge into the lane farthest from the vehicle at least three hundred feet before the vehicle and proceed with caution, unless otherwise directed; or

(2) If driving on a two-lane highway, at least three hundred feet before the vehicle, slow to a speed that is at least twenty miles per hour less than the posted speed limit or five miles per hour when the speed limit is posted at twenty miles per hour or less and proceed with caution unless otherwise directed.

A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor and has a minimum fine of two hundred seventy dollars.

Failure to move over resulting in a crash with a stopped vehicle using appropriate signals is a Class 1 misdemeanor.