Rollover fire engine after minivan broadsides middle driver’s side of fire engine at Palatine Road and Quentin Road in Palatine. YouTube Tips ⓘ
The Major Case Assistance Team — Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team (MCAT-STAR) investigators were on the scene of a crash Thursday, February 10, 2022, involving Palatine Fire Department Fire Engine 84 and a minivan in the intersection of Palatine Road and Quentin Road in Palatine. The crew in Engine 84 was responding to a call when the crash occurred. The intersection is controlled by an Opticom system, which is designed to give a green light to approaching emergency vehicles with emergency lights activated, and control cross traffic by displaying red lights on traffic signals.
Crash investigators were investigating the intersection with measurements and data collection, and are likely to continue to work to determine the speeds of the vehicles, determine whether the Opticom had activated for the approaching fire engine, determine which traffic had a green light, and investigate any human factors involving the drivers. Besides studying street measurements, including vehicle positions and markings and debris in the street caused by the crash, investigators search for cameras that may have captured the view of the crash, and seek data from “black boxes” or event data recorders that are usually equipped on modern vehicles. Event data recorders can provide data including vehicle speed, seat belt use, brake application, and steering position. Most event data recorders capture about six seconds of data before a crash, but some event data recorders include data from even a longer duration before a crash.
Police, firefighters and paramedics from Palatine responded about 9:34 a.m. Thursday, February 10, 2021 to a report of a rollover crash involving a Palatine fire engine at Quentin Road and Palatine Road. The first report came from the crew in the crashed fire engine. They were able to exit the fire engine (possibly by popping out their own windshield) and quickly checked on the driver of the minivan. They reported that there was no entrapment involved in the crash, and began to provide medical aid to the driver of the minivan.
The crash involved a minivan and a fire engine, which rolled and came to rest on the passenger side. Most of the hose carried in the hose bed of the fire engine was strewn across Quentin Road.
Initially one injured victim was reported. Firefighter/paramedics from Palatine Fire Department transported one patient (from the minivan) with injuries that were believed to be non-life-threatening to a nearby hospital. A firefighter also reported an injury (or injuries) initially believed to be minor.
The minivan had severe front-end damage, and the fire engine was severely damaged in the middle of the vehicle on the driver’s side, near where pump controls and hose connections are located on the fire engine.
Palatine Police Department promptly alerted the public with a brief summary of the crash, and stated that the intersection would be closed for investigation for several hours. The intersection was opened Thursday afternoon.
The information in this article is an early report published before any summary information was confirmed or released by police or fire authorities.
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