Mich. Fire Truck Struck by Three Vehicles

Sept. 05—An Ann Arbor fire engine hit by a semi-truck and two other passenger vehicles on Interstate 94 needs tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, according to city officials.

The City Council voted 9-0 Tuesday night, Sept. 4, to approve a $79,392 emergency purchase order to cover repairs to Tower 1, which was badly damaged on the evening of July 31.

The council's action ratifies action taken by the city's administration to approve an emergency purchase order last month.

According to the city, the Ann Arbor Fire Department was responding to a single-vehicle crash on westbound I-94 at the Jackson Road interchange shortly after 11 p.m. and Tower 1 was in a "park to protect" position to protect emergency responders, including Huron Valley Ambulance and Michigan State Police, when it was hit.

According to the city, no emergency responders or civilians were injured, though Tower 1 sustained considerable damages.

Fire Chief Mike Kennedy said the most severe damage was to the mounts attaching the cab to the chassis.

He said the Michigan State Police has submitted a warrant request for the driver of the semi-truck for reckless driving and the city is pursuing reimbursement from the trucking company.

City officials said the fire engine was towed to the Sutphen Corp. in Amlin, Ohio, which is where it was built, and it's still there.

Kennedy said the vehicle has been out of commission since the crash, and AAFD has been using a reserve apparatus in the interim.

"We do not have a firm timeline on repairs, but expect it to exceed 60 days," he said.

According to a city staff memo, the fire engine is a 2013 model with a 100-foot aerial platform. The initial repair estimate was $61,071, but city officials say additional work may be needed, so a 30 percent contingency is included in the emergency purchase order.