Texas: Firefighters ask for vigilance after Tesla hits firetruck in I-35 work zone

Waco fire officials are urging drivers to sit up and pay attention after a car ran into a firetruck that was responding to a crash Sunday in the Interstate 35 construction zone.

A southbound Tesla sedan ran into Fire Engine No. 5 around 5:15 p.m. as it was parked to protect first responders at a crash scene on I-35 between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Fourth Street. The sedan hit the front driver side of the truck, damaging the bumper, emergency lights and door area, fire officials said.

No injuries were reported, but reports indicated the driver may have been distracted before the crash.

“We would just like to ask everyone to pay attention while they are driving and keep in mind with the expansion of I-35, traveling may become more difficult through Waco in the next four years,” Waco Deputy Fire Chief R.M. Bergerson said. “We are going to continue to do what we need to do, but we hope drivers will pay attention and drive safe.”

The expansion of I-35 between 11th Street and North Loop 340 began last week with plans to expand the main lanes from three to four in each direction. Texas Department of Transportation officials have said they plan to rebuild all overpasses and create wider frontage roads, among other improvements.

The weekend crash highlighted the need for all motorists to remain vigilant, Bergerson said. He said distracted drivers have put local firefighters at risk in recent years, especially firefighters at Station No. 5, who often respond to I-35 wrecks.

Bergerson said fire department administrators implemented the “blocking” procedure after October 2015 after two firefighters on Engine No. 5 were seriously injured when a driver hit the truck while crews were working a grass fire in the 3900 block of South Interstate 35.

One firefighter was severely injured with broken ribs and other various injuries. Bergerson said both men could have lost their lives, but both men recovered.

“That incident actually totaled Engine No. 5, because it hit so hard,” Bergerson said. “Our current engine replaced it, but it’s been hit a few more times.”

The current Engine No. 5 has been adorned with a symbolic Band-Aid on its front passenger bumper since several months ago, when it was struck by a car that ran a red light while the truck was responding to a fire, Bergerson said. The damage caused an estimated $14,000 to the bumper.

Earlier this year, a Waco police officer caused minor damage to the back of Engine No. 5 when the officer got out of the patrol car without putting it into park, Bergerson said. The patrol car crashed into the back of the firetruck, causing minor damage.

Insurance estimates for the crash on Sunday have not yet been calculated.

In January, Texas Department of Public Safety began enforcement efforts of the Move Over Law. In Texas, the law requires drivers to either vacate the lane closest to emergency vehicles or make drivers slow down 20 mph below the speed limit if they cannot move over a lane.