apparatus firegeezer on 27 May 2008 08:15 am
Fatal Fire Engine Crash In Virginia
Updated: Scroll down.
A FIRE ENGINE IN BOTETOURT COUNTY, VIRGINIA, was responding to a vehicle accident Sunday evening when it collided with a pickup truck. The collision killed the two passengers in the pickup.
WSLS-TV
The Eagle Rock Volunteer Fire Dept. pumper was occupied by the driver only when it was traveling on a winding, 2-lane roadway. The near-head-on collision left both trucks in a farmer’s field and the firefighter/driver slightly injured. He was transported to a hospital but is expected to be ok.
WSLS-TV
The accident took place around 6 pm Sunday and the State Police have not yet released any information about the cause or what happened.
Update:
Virginia State Police have released the names of the people involved in the wreck. The Roanoke Times REPORTS:
Russell Meadows, 44, the driver of the pickup truck, and Judi Clark, 46, a passenger, died due to injuries from the crash.
State Police spokesman Bob Carpentieri said Meadows, from Covington, and Clark, from Clifton Forge, were wearing seatbelts.
Carpentieri identified the driver of the fire truck as Lucas McCulloch, a volunteer with the Eagle Rock Volunteer Fire Department.
Police said McCulloch was driving north on 220 north of Eagle Rock at 6:10 p.m. when the fire truck crossed the center line just south of Kelly’s Market and struck the pickup Meadows was driving. An investigation is under way. (emphasis by Firegeezer)
on 27 May 2008 at 9:32 pm 1.Rob Schlottenmeier said …
I am a newly released DPO with my Company station 8 Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Dept.( Charlotesville VA.) We will have some trainig with this accident.
My prayers are with all involved!
Robert Schlottenmeier FF/DPO
on 28 May 2008 at 2:16 pm 2.B Sherwood said …
Just what the hell are you all thinking, letting a deaf, handicapped xxxxxxx like Lucas McCulloh drive a fire truck?? Because of his actions, two people lost their lives. Maybe you all need to search for the truth behind the people you allow to volunteer for you. I hope the families of the victims sue the living hell out of Eagle Rock Fire Dept as well as Lucas. Beating the xxxx out of him would be nice as well.
on 28 May 2008 at 5:41 pm 3.Alex Meadows said …
This is the son of the driver that was killed…If someone could contact me with more information about this, I would really appreciate it.
ncballaboy03@yahoo.com
on 28 May 2008 at 9:58 pm 4.T. Shannon said …
To B. Sherwood…Do you really think this is the time or place to be putting something so disrespectful? Whether the driver was a bad guy, trouble maker or whatever else, what has happened is sad enough. This shows what kind of guy you are…try to have some respect for others. I’m with Rob, to all involved you are in our prayers.
on 29 May 2008 at 2:28 pm 5.B. Sherwood said …
my name is B. Sherwood also will the coward who posted the blog about the fire truck crash please contact his son makes me look bad and i have never blogged in my life. The boy is destroyed and he is calling all the B. Sherwood in the puter. thank you
on 29 May 2008 at 3:54 pm 6.Kaytie McGuyre said …
I don’t know the B. Sherwood person above from Adam, but it sounds like he has a personal problem with Lucas. I am a fellow volunteer with Lucas in the county that we live in. I have known Lucas for upwards of 10 years-and even before this happened, I have had nothing but the utmost respect for him. Lucas is a dear friend, and he has always been one of those people you could count on to be there when he was needed. I am very sorry to the families of the accident victims-my prayers are with you. Lucas was doing what he has done hundreds of thousands of times-answering a call for help. He has way beyond the level of training required to be a volunteer firefighter or EMT, and he has been doing this since we were in high school together. This accident could have happened to any single one of us responding to a call. If Lucas was handicapped or deaf, he would not have been allowed by the state of Virginia to drive any kind of apparatus. Do you know how many people that would call 911 for our help, and then complain because it took too long for us to get to his/her house, or the siren woke them up when we were going to help someone else? We volunteer out of the kindness of our hearts and the love of mankind. There is no better feeling than the one when we help someone-more often than not, without thanks. We miss meals, holidays, and weekends with our families because we are running calls, or taking training classes to help sharpen our skills of the always changing fire/EMS field. We get up all hours of the night and lose sleep to answer calls. We go hours upon hours without getting to stop to eat a meal, or even to go to the bathroom some days because we are so busy. Why? We don’t receive a paycheck. We very seldom ever receive thanks. We choose to do this out of the kindness of our hearts. Lucas is one hell of a person to do this job because of what we have to see and put up with on a daily basis. Take a walk in our shoes and see what we see when we close our eyes. Lucas has to deal with a lot-being involved in this accident and having to see the news and media, and how they make these stories exactly what THEY want them to sound like. I thank God for people like Lucas that have the courage and the heart to run calls as they do. Would this B. Sherwood person have this half of these characteristics? Before making the kinds of statements like he did, he should think about what he’s saying, and should feel ashamed that he put such derogatory comments on a public website such as this.
on 29 May 2008 at 4:01 pm 7.Community Hero said …
To B. Sherwood;
OK, just what the hell are YOU thinking posting such a hateful comment about somebody you read about online??? I am speaking as one of Lucas’s fellow volunteers from Botetourt County…Lucas is one of the sweetest, most caring, and most dedicated people I know…he is most definitely NOT deaf, and most definitely NOT handicapped. Whether it was his fault or not, accidents happen…thats why they are called ACCIDENTS! I’m sure that only a few people know exactly what happened…you are not one of them, and you need to keep your damn mouth shut!! For your information, Botetourt County DOES conduct thorough driving checks and backgrounds on all their volunteers. Lucas was fully certified in everything needed to drive that truck and work the accident he was responding to, with at least 6 years experience driving that truck, and at least 11 years of firefighting. I hope the family of the victims knows the kind of person Lucas is, and how deeply this accident has affected him. Get your f*****g facts right before you run your damn mouth!! And if anybody gets the hell beat out of them, I hope it’s you, B. Sherwood, for being such a disrespectful, lowlife asshole.
Thanks! Have a nice day.
on 29 May 2008 at 4:29 pm 8.L Simpson said …
I’d like to know why these opinions vary in degree so much. Thanks
on 29 May 2008 at 4:37 pm 9.Community Hero said …
Hey,
These opinions vary so much because myself and the person above me both ACTUALLY know Lucas, and we are both ACTUALLY volunteers in the same community as Lucas.
THANKS
on 29 May 2008 at 4:48 pm 10.L Simpson said …
And B Sherwood is not, right?
on 29 May 2008 at 5:16 pm 11.Community_Hero said …
Well, I don’t know for sure…both of us definitely know him…and if that B. Sherwood person actually knew Lucas, he wouldn’t be saying those things.
on 29 May 2008 at 9:17 pm 12.B Sherwood said …
Regardless of what anyone says of Lucas McCulloch, I am entitled to my opinions of him, and yes, unfortunately I know him personally. Why don’t those of you that stick up for him ask him about his feelings toward minorities? Or maybe ask his current girlfriend how he treats her? You all might know him in a professional setting, but I have had the unfortunate privelage of knowing him in a personal way, and it’s nothing to respect. If a racist pig who physically abuses his girlfriend is the type of person you all respect - then I see it as an honor being called an “asshole” by you all. You can’t always judge a book by its cover.