Saturday, July 10, 2010

One Dead In Fire Truck Accident

On July 10, 1993 at 8:45 a.m. a rescue local was dispatched to Interstate 81 north bound five miles north of exit 10 South Newton Township. Two men were driving a 1951 Pirsch tiller truck from Maryland to Harrisburg for the Pennsylvania Pump Primers muster when the drive shaft broke puncturing hydraulic lines and spraying fluid onto the exhaust header. The truck burst into flames causing the tiller man to jump from the rig. The driver steered the truck into the median strip and over a concrete culvert causing the driver to be ejected from the cab and thrown under the wheels of the tractor. The vehicle came to rest off the road, well involved in flames. The driver S. Eric Russell, 33 was pronounced dead at the scene. The tiller man Jeffrey Jenkins, 27 was taken to Chambersburg Hospital and later transferred to Francis Scott Key Burn Center in Baltimore in serious condition. None of the many newspaper articles list the companies responding to the incident so when I list who I think was there if any one has any additions or corrections please let me know. Responding to the accident was the Penn Twp., South Newton Twp., Newville, Vigilant Hose and West End Fire and Rescue companies.

5 comments:

Dan Burkett said...

South Newton was also on this call. We were working on our building addition when this occured. Upon us arriving we cared for the tiller driver burn victim and didn't even know there was a DOA.

Brad Myers said...

Thanks Dan, I will make the edition. I did not assume that at that time South Newton responded since there was no gate at the time.

I didn't know you were looking, don't be scared to speak up on here.

Brad Myers said...

This was sent by one of the site viewers and I thought I would pass it along.

The Pirsch Tiller you posted about was Paxtonia's & Lower Paxton's first truck, bought by LP Twp. from Lancaster (City) PA in 1972, replaced in 1983 by the brand-new Sutphen Tower. The old truck was sold to a collector but I don't know if it was the same person involved in the crash.

The Paxtang Daily Market was its last fire as an aerial, the ring/rotation gear broke.

Anonymous said...

No it was not the same person to whom the truck was initally sold. My brother purchased it from the original owner after seeing it along I 81 in that persons yard. He and I drove it home from there. My name is chet russell and thanks for remembering......

magi said...

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