Fire Chief and Vice Mayor Posey Dillon, along with firefighter William Daniel "Danny" Altice died in the wreck, according to Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Bailey.
A Rocky Mount fire truck was eastbound on Old Franklin Turnpike in Rocky Mount when a Ford Escape coming from School Board Road entered intersection of the two roads and struck the engine, according to Bailey. The fire truck, responding to a blaze in Union Hall, swerved and flipped at least three times, Bailey said.
Bailey believed the weight of the truck, loaded with 1,000 gallons of water, shifted during the crash. The fire truck landed on its last flip on a blue Ford Mustang, which had been traveling westbound on Old Franklin Turnpike.
One person was removed from the fire truck and taken by helicopter to a hospital, said Wanda Bailey, a manager at the nearby Sheetz convenience store on Old Franklin Turnpike near Route 220 in Rocky Mount. Another person was pinned under the truck, she said.
At least two people from the wreck were transported to Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital, according to Carilion spokeswoman Allie Buth. One person died on the way to or at the hospital, she said, and another was listed in stable condition. Buth declined to identify either person.
Buth was not sure if anyone had been airlifted from the scene.
"We lost two dedicated public servants in that accident," said Rocky Mount Mayor Steve Angle, confirming that two firefighters died in the collision. "Both were well-known and respected men in the community. It's a devastating blow to Rocky Mount." He would not name the firefighters who died, but said they were the only two on the truck.
It was not immediately clear how seriously the drivers of the Explorer and Mustang were injured, if at all.
"It's terrible. It's really, really bad," Wanda Bailey said. "Most of these firefighters come in here every day. It's kind of heartbreaking to us. We know them. They're basically like family."
"I heard a great big crash and we came outside," said Christy McKinney, 35, of Rocky Mount, an employee of Mattress Depot across the street from the wreck.
The intersection of Old Franklin Turnpike and Route 220 is blocked off while officials investigate, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Copyright The Roanoke Times, Reprinted with Permission, July 26th, 2010.
More Details, Men Were Veterans of Virginia Department
Information Courtesy The Franklin News Post - FNP Slideshow
Rocky Mount Fire Chief and Vice Mayor Posey Dillon and longtime fireman William D. "Danny" Altice were killed today in an accident in Rocky Mount involving a town fire truck and two automobiles.
According to Virginia State Police First Sgt. Mike Bailey, the fire truck was dispatched to a structure fire in Union Hall and was traveling east through the intersection of Rt. 40 East and School Board Road (in front of Sheetz) when a car pulled out from School Board Road into the intersection.
The car, a Ford Escape, reportedly hit the rear of the fire truck, which then hit the curb on the other side of the road and flipped, landing on top of another car, a Mustang.
Dillon and Altice, who were the only occupants of the fire truck, were both thrown from the truck, Bailey said.
Dillon had served on town council for 24 years, including 10 years as vice mayor, and was re-elected vice mayor by council earlier this month. He had been fire chief for 20 years.
Altice joined the fire department in 1963 and served as chief from 1977 to 1984. He was presented a lifetime achievement award by town council in 2008.
Posey Dillon (right) is pictured above with Danny Altice during a ceremony in February 2008 when Altice was presented a lifetime achievement award by the Rocky Mount Town Council. They were killed Tuesday afternoon in a collision with a car while responding to a call.
My Opinion
This is just one more saddening case of what can happen to any of us enroute to a call, returning from a call, or even for those volunteers/paid on-call firefighters that are responding to the hall. We have to be careful driving at all times, including when the adrenaline is pumping and we're responding to a call. The flashing lights and the loud siren don't give us the right of way, and we have to remember that. We're only asking for the right of way. If we assume it's given to us, then accidents can and will happen. This includes, clearing an intersection, rate of closure, following distances, and improper use of lights and sirens. I'm extremely sad and sorry to hear something like this happened, and I am not in any way saying that this was their fault, but we can learn from this and realize that not everyone sees us or will yield the right of way. We have to start taking defensive steps in driving and assume that the driver WON'T stop for us so we can plan ahead and take the precautionary measures while still getting to the scene in a reasonable amount of time. Make eye contact, make sure they've stopped and KNOW you're there and what your intentions are and then proceed. It doesn't take long to do. Remember, to do your job at the scene, you have to make it there. Everyone home safe, everyday.
Brad MacMillan
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