Lynn fire engines damaged as result of icy conditions

LYNN – Freezing rain turned steep streets into icy slopes Wednesday night and sent two 25-ton fire engines careening out of control into cars and walls, leaving two firefighters and a driver injured.”They made three 360s coming down the hill,” said District Fire Chief James Barry, describing the terrifying ride down Beacon Hill Avenue Engine 1’s three crewmen experienced after the truck raced from the Hollingsworth Street fire station to a car accident on Beacon Hill at about 10:30 p.m.The truck spun out on the crest of the street, hitting two cars, then a wall before coming to a halt. Barry said a fire lieutenant and a firefighter were treated for minor injuries at Union Hospital and released. He declined to release their identities.Engine 7 suffered the same fate as Engine 1 while responding to the Beacon Hill Avenue car accident. Barry said the truck started sliding on icy Woodlawn Street, slid through the Linwood Street intersection and onto Atkinson where the truck bounced off a wall and hit two vehicles stalled on the slick street. A police cruiser parked across Atkinson to keep drivers off the icy incline managed to scoot out of the truck’s way.Barry said a woman in one of the cars was treated for minor neck and back pain at Union Hospital and released.He said Engine 1 crew members managed to respond to the car accident even as they dealt with their own injuries. The truck sustained extensive damage and city maintenance workers will evaluate Engine 7 to determine how soon it can be placed back in service. Barry said a city public works truck was also involved in a serious ice-related crash Wednesday night.