LA Firefighter Recovering After Engine Crash

Feb. 22—A Pearl River firefighter who suffered multiple fractures and had to be extricated from the driver's seat of an overturned firetruck Monday was in stable condition, authorities said Wednesday.

The man, whose name has not yet been released, was being treated for several fractures to his skull, spine, and shoulder, according to St. Tammany District 7 Fire Chief Gary Whitehead.

The driver was traveling to another station to obtain fuel and attend training when he was involved in a single-vehicle crash on Louisiana 435 near Mossy Hill Road in Abita Springs, Whitehead said.

An initial report by the Louisiana State Police said that the firefighter veered slightly off the roadway to the right before steering left. The truck went on its side, slid across the roadway and hit a tree. The firefighter was trapped the man in the driver's side of the vehicle, according to Whitehead.

The driver was extricated from the truck and airlifted to University Medical Center in New Orleans.

It's unclear why the driver veered off the road, but Whitehead said any departure off of that highway can be a problem because the road "doesn't have much of a shoulder."

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