POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Five people were taken to the hospital, including three firefighters, after they were involved in a violent crash in Pompano Beach, authorities said.
According to Pompano Beach Fire Rescue, the crash occurred in the area of Northwest 31st Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Pompano Beach, at around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives said a Pompano Beach Fire Rescue unit and a lawn service truck collided.
Investigators with PBFR said three of their firefighters were transported to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. They are expected to be OK.
BSO detectives said paramedics rushed two men who were inside the lawn service truck to an area hospital. One of them suffered life-threatening injuries, and the other is listed in serious condition.
Authorities also had to transport a person in the back of the ambulance to get checked out as well after the crash.
Video shows the front end of the fire truck completely demolished, with the hood of the truck on the road, as well as the lawn service truck with the front of it smashed in and the windshield shattered.
It remains unclear what caused the crash. 7News has learned the firefighters were coming back from a call at the time of the collision.
Witnesses said it was a bad crash.
“I’m parking, you know, in the parking lot, and I hear like a strong accident,” said Raul Gamaro. “When I saw the fire truck, I saw all the smoke, and I saw all the people running to the fire truck, and I saw the accident.”
Gamaro described what he saw immediately after the crash.
“I see the people try to jump to the landscaping truck and try to open the door, people screaming. It’s hard,” he said.
Domingo Gimenez, who works for the lawn service company, told 7News in Spanish that five coworkers were in the lawn service truck. They had just finished a job in Orlando. He said the damage of the crash was very strong.
He said the other three guys inside the truck are OK.
Officials blocked off the area for hours while they investigated. The turning lane in the area remained open.
Both damaged vehicles were towed away on Thursday night.
BSO continues to investigate the crash.
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