FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue held its annual Medals Day ceremony on Saturday, honoring the quick actions of fire crews who rendered critical aid to a driver after a crash.
“I’m beyond proud of the men and women of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue,” said FLFR Chief Stephen Gollan.
The crew was honored for their work and jumping into action moments after the horrible chain of events unfolded right in front of them.
“What they’re doing is unbelievable. If you ask them, they’ll say they’re just doing their job,” said Gollan. Dash camera footage from Engine 2, provided by FLFR, captures the moment of the crash. The fire truck was heading east on Broward Boulevard on March 25th.
As they approached Seventh Avenue to turn left, a black car heading east ran a red light, smashing into a white car heading south. The impact sent the white car into the fire truck.
Immediately, the two captains and the driver engineer on board the fire truck got out and rushed to both cars, hoping to get the victims out as quickly as possible.
Nearby surveillance video shows the black car ended up on the right lanes of Broward Boulevard. It also captured the moment of impact as the white car spins out of control and hits the fire truck.
Witnesses said they heard a loud sound.
“Boom, yeah, that’s it, like a loud explosion,” said a witness when asked what he heard.
Upon the crash happening, 911 was called.
“I have two vehicles, very heavy damage,” said a dispatcher.
Inside the white car was Kristopher David.
Crews appeared to have used the Jaws of Life to cut off the roof of the white car and extricate David. They also administered their whole blood program on scene, for the first time for a trauma case.
Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, David would not survive.
Nearly two months after the crash, Dominick Rella was arrested in connection with the crash. He faces a list of charges that include driving under the influence, manslaughter, and driving with a suspended license.
Authorities say Rella was driving roughly 83 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone and may have been impaired when he ran a red light and T-boned David’s car.
In bond court earlier this month, David’s mother asked the judge not to give Rella bond and said the crash had traumatized her family.
“Because of his reckless driving, I lost my own child, and I’m not sleeping. It’s very hard, and I pray that, as I say, no one else will have to go through what we’re going through,” David’s mother said.
Ultimately, the judge set bond for Rella, and he has since bonded out.
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