‘Please, slow down’: MFD chief addresses reckless driving after 2 firefighters struck by vehicle
By WDJT Staff
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MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — Two Milwaukee firefighters were struck by a vehicle while shoveling snow in front of MFD Station 4 on Monday, Jan. 24.
It happened around 7 a.m.
According to the Milwaukee Fire Department, the vehicle left the roadway, traveled well onto MFD property and struck the firefighters and the fire station.
“Just getting ready to go off duty. They’re out there helping clear snow, and now we’ve got a vehicle that’s traveling so fast, control is lost and they strike two of my firefighters,” Chief Aaron Lipski said.
Both department members were injured and transported to Froedtert Hospital for treatment. Both firefighters were evaluated and released and expected to recover at home for a few days.
“I want to point out that it is dumb luck and the grace of God that we’re not dealing with a fatality or a critical injury here today,” Lipski said.
The building suffered no major damages. Milwaukee police cited the driver for driving too fast for conditions, according to Lipski.
The fire chief is shining a light on the city’s reckless driving crisis after reporting this as the second car crash to send Milwaukee firefighters to the hospital so far this year.
“Please, let’s just slow down,” Lipski said.
He said reckless driving is an issue that impacts their jobs daily.
“People driving over hose lines and severing those hose lines. People driving on sidewalks, because they’ve got to get where they’re going in the middle of us trying to set up a fire attack on a fire scene,” Lipski said.
Meanwhile, the department is busier than ever, responding to 50 calls in the first 24 days of 2022.
“I would ask you to just say thanks to a firefighter at some point,” Lipski said. “They are laying it out for you on the regular and it is at a pace that we have never seen ever in this city.”
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