Bradford & District | Archive | 2006 | February | 4
From the archive, first published Saturday 4th Feb 2006.
Five firefighters were taken to hospital after their engine crashed into a house while on an emergency call-out today.
The crew from Idle fire station had been responding to a fire alarm in Yeadon shortly after 6am.
Their vehicle hit a lamp post, ran through a garden wall and hit the front of the semi-detached home in Albion Road at the junction of Albert Avenue, Idle.
Emergency services were called to the scene and the road was sealed off by police.
None of the occupants of the house were injured and police believe damage to the building was minimal.
The firefighters had to be cut free and suffered minor injuries. They were taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary.
Inspector Angus Rushton, of Bradford North Police, described them as "walking wounded".
He said: "The fire engine was involved in a collision en-route to a call. It collided with a lamp post and a house, which at the moment we believe has no major damage.
"None of the occupants were injured although some of the firefighters were."
Sunil Patel, who runs a newsagent's shop in Albion Road, said he was just getting ready for work when he heard the accident.
"The first I heard was something which sounded like a lorry coming down the road. I think I heard a screech and then a big bang.
"I looked out of the window but couldn't see anything from that angle, so I turned the alarm off then opened it.
"I could see the fire engine and it looked to have hit the house.
"The woman who lives opposite came in the shop after I opened up and she said it's just touching the house."
An investigation into the crash has been started by West Yorkshire Fire Service.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008