COOPERSVILLE, Mich. — A specialized safety vehicle designed to protect firefighters responding to highway emergencies was struck by a motorist on I-96 Sunday, less than a month after it was first deployed.
Firefighters with the Coopersville-Polkton Fire Department were dispatched to westbound I-96 Sunday to assist the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department and road commission with an issue with the roadway. Their safety truck arrived on scene at approximately 7:45 p.m. to block the lane, and about 15 minutes later the apparatus on the back of the truck was struck by a 35-year-old motorist.
WATCH: Damage caused to specialized highway safety vehicle after Sunday crash on I-96 in Ottawa County
The driver suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene. No first responders were injured.
Coopersville-Polkton Fire Chief Travis Kroll said the collision could have been much worse without the truck in place.
"If that apparatus had not been there there was an Ottawa County Sheriff's Deputy there in a smaller vehicle that could have been a much worse accident had that car impacted another smaller vehicle," Kroll explained.
Michigan state law requires drivers to slow down and move over one lane when they see an emergency vehicle on the side of the road.
The Public Information Officer for the Michigan State Police's 6th District, Lt. Michelle Robinson says while many of these accidents occur in the winter months drivers should be just as vigilant in the summer.
"Often times people are traveling at higher than posted speed limits and they're not paying attention on the roadways and that's where a lot of our tragedies happen," said Lt. Robinson
She said it comes down to motorists being respectful and responsible on the roadway.
"We need individuals to slow down, be aware of their surroundings and pay attention to what’s going on," Lt. Robinson said.
Sunday's crash comes less than two weeks from our previous story highlighting the community's effort to fund the new truck.
Along with fundraising efforts from the Northeast Ottawa County Firefighters Collaborative, local businesses also provided money and resources. In total, the truck cost around $35,000.
Watch: Previous story highlighting the effort to purchase the truck and prepare it for the roadway
However, after less than a month and only responding to four or five calls, it will now be out of commission during the busy summer travel season.
"Right now it appears that most of the damage was just to the attenuator portion which is what we expected," Kroll said. "Our goal is to obviously have it repaired and back into useable condition as soon as possible."
While Kroll will be dealing with insurance companies, he said he's just grateful everyone made it home safely. He said he hopes to have the truck back up and running within the next few months.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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