Officials: Fire Engine Placement Saved Lives at College Park Crash Scene

Engine 111 shielded emergency personnel from the potentially fatal impact of a fast-moving car, authorities said.

Prince George's County officials say the careful placement of a fire engine at the scene of a recent crash in College Park may have made the difference between life and death. On Aug. 18 at around 4:15 a.m., fire, EMS, and Maryland State Police units responded to an accident on the outer loop of the Capital Beltway between Route 1 and the I-95 split. As emergency personnel tended to motorists and surveyed the damage from the collision, another car reportedly slammed into a Branchville Volunteer Fire Company engine (no. 111) stationed at the scene. Fire officials said the engine had been positioned by the company's driver to shield those at the crash site from oncoming traffic. "This decision and correct placement saved lives and prevented …

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