GREENWICH, Conn. — A fire truck was struck by a big rig on Interstate 95 southbound in Greenwich early Thursday morning after responding to a separate crash that occurred late Wednesday night, according to Connecticut State Police.
At approximately 11:34 p.m. on Wednesday, first responders were called to the scene of a crash on I-95 southbound. A tractor-trailer with multiple trailers was traveling southbound in dark and wet conditions adjacent to the Exit 4 ramp when its rearmost trailer swerved to the right, state police said.
The tractor-trailer struck the right shoulder metal beam guardrail and a light support, causing severe damage to both, before rolling over and landing on its passenger side. The driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital; they were cited for failure to maintain proper lane and traveling too fast for conditions, according to state police.
The Greenwich Professional Firefighters Facebook page said that Engine 1, a fire truck, was later on scene awaiting the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s response to the tractor-trailer’s leaking saddle tanks when it was struck by a rig with a car carrier.
State police said the fire truck was parked in the right and center travel lanes, which had been shut down following the first crash, when it was struck by the rig at approximately 1:06 a.m. Thursday.
As a result of the impact, state police said three firefighters and the driver of the fire truck sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Stamford Hospital for treatment. The Greenwich Professional Firefighters said the firefighters required extraction from the fire truck.
After striking the fire truck, the car carrier rig also crashed into a Lexus R35 and a Honda Pilot. The driver of the Lexus sustained a minor injury, and the driver of the Honda was not injured, according to state police.
State police said that I-95 southbound around Exit 4 was closed for around six hours because the car carrier rig’s fuel tanks were breached and leaked approximately 130 gallons of fuel. The state’s Department of Transportation, DEEP, Greenwich police, Greenwich fire and EMS responded to the scene.
The driver of the car carrier rig, 33-year-old Yeskenny Vargas De La Cruz, of New Haven, was found at fault for the crash, state police said. Vargas De La Cruz received a misdemeanor summons for failure to display plates, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, failure to maintain minimum insurance, failure to move over or slow down for an emergency vehicle and traveling too fast for conditions.
State police said the case is active as further investigation and enforcement action is pending.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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