Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A fire engine of the Brussels fire brigade collided with a passenger car before coming to rest in a front yard on Wereldtentoonstellingslaan in Jette on Saturday afternoon.
On Saturday, the front yard of a house located on Wereldtentoonstellingslaan in Jette became the site of a collision when a Brussels Fire Brigade fire truck crashed after hitting a passenger car. The fire truck operated with active warning systems to respond to a Ganshoren fire at the moment the crash occurred, said fire department spokesperson Walter Derieuw.
The Brussels Fire Brigade ladder truck crashed at the Wereldtentoonstellingslaan and Rivierendreef intersection in Jette. The fire truck headed to Ganshoren for a high-rise building fire, and its emergency equipment was activated when it hit a passenger vehicle. The fire truck performed an evasive manoeuvre that caused it to drive into a hedge while travelling off the road.
Medical personnel sent the passenger car occupants and both firefighters to a hospital as a precautionary measure for their minor injuries. Standard police procedures include an investigation to determine all aspects of this crash. The complete information about the fire intervention will be disclosed by officials at a later point.
What is the history of fire truck accidents in Brussels?
Emergency vehicle accidents involving firetrucks occur infrequently but persist as a problem in Brussels because congestion and delayed emergency responses create difficulties. Brussels Mobility reports that the city has between 3-5 emergency vehicle accidents each year, resulting mainly in minor injuries to occupants. A recent Belgian Road Safety Institute report revealed that intersections contribute to 40% of all vehicle accidents involving emergency services when drivers do not obey emergency vehicles. Emergency response times become more complicated in Brussels because firefighters operate within tight streets while navigating high pedestrian-density areas.
The Brussels Fire Brigade reacts to more than 30,000 emergency calls yearly, while lights and sirens are deployed to handle around 4500 urgent incidents annually. The implementation of strict protocols fails to prevent occasional incidents, mainly during high-speed emergency interruptions.
Emergency personnel in Anderlecht faced a truck rollover during an incident in 2021, which triggered officials to examine safety protocols for their emergency vehicles throughout all of Brussels. Enforcement of laws requiring drivers to give passage to emergency vehicles remains without proper consistency.
