Detroit Firefighter Killed in Apparatus Collision

[Guest nutty1]

Police said a crash involving a fire truck and an SUV turned fatal Wednesday.

The fire truck and SUV collided at the intersection of 14th Street and West Grand Boulevard on Detroit's west side.

Detroit Police Deputy Chief James Tate said that one firefighter, Joe Torkos, 47,  died after he was thrown from the cab of the truck and a 31 year old man driving the SUV were killed. Fire officials said Torkos had a young child and his wife was pregnant.

Tate said the Detroit Fire Department is not commenting on the incident out of respect for the deceased. Three other firefighters were injured. Lt. Walter Grysko is in stable condition. Two other firefighters have been released from the hospital.

A witness told Local 4 the fire truck had its lights and sirens on while traveling westbound on West Grand Boulevard, while the SUV was traveling southbound on 14th Street. He said the SUV did not stop for the fire truck when the crash occurred.

Detroit police said a man, 31, was driving the SUV with an adult and two children as passengers. The man had to be cut out of the truck, a witness said. Police said the two children, ages 10 and 11, are in stable condition at Children's Hospital, and the other adult was taken to Henry Ford Hospital and is in critical condition.

Edited February 8, 2007 by nutty1