LANSDOWNE, Pa.-- Several firefighters were injured Wednesday when a fire truck crashed into a stone wall in Delaware County.
Authorities said the accident happened at about 11:45 a.m. on Providence Road at Hilldale in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.
A total of seven firefighters were injured; six on the truck and another was injured after he fell and cut his face while coming to help.
It took over a dozen rescuers nearly an hour to free a firefighter who was trapped in the front passenger seat of the truck. Chopper 3 captured video of the Jaws of Life being used to pry open the crushed medal surrounding the unidentified firefighter.
"The entire front of the cab on impact with the concrete barrier wall collapsed in on the firefighter," Upper Darby Township Fire Chief Ed Cubler said.
"Through the entire part and at the end, he definitely was conscious," Cubler said.
Once the firefighter was removed from the wreckage, he was flown via a medical chopper to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He was expected to be released from the hospital sometime Wednesday evening.
The other six firefighters were treated for their injuries and later released.
The truck was responding to a house fire when it crashed into the wall.
Eyewitness Joanie Ricker was stopped at the bottom of Hilldale Road waiting to turn onto Providence Road when she saw the truck come from behind.
"I heard the siren coming and it just came flying behind me and I was thinking, 'he's never going to be able to make this turn,' and right at the end, he swerved to miss the pole and went straight into the wall," Ricker said.
The truck is equipped with seat belts but Cubler said it was unclear if the firefighters were buckled in or not.
A special crane had to be brought in to help remove the truck away from the concrete wall.
There is no word yet on what caused the crash. State Police and Upper Darby Township Police are investigating the accident.
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Republished with permission of KYW-TV.
