Fort Meade firefighter suffers a broken leg
FirefighterNation Staff
FORT MEADE, Florida – WFLA reports that a Fort Meade volunteer firefighter was struck by a train while battling a brush fire Tuesday.
Firefighters were on the scene of a four-acre wildfire near 1491 14th St. NW in Fort Meade.
The fire was contained, and nearby buildings were saved but a Fort Meade firefighter was struck by a train.
The firefighter was transported to a nearby hospital where authorities say he has a broken leg.
Firefighters were in the process of fighting the fire when a CSX train approached. The firefighter saw that a door was open on a fire, so he ran to shut the door, but the train arrived at about the same time.
CSX Transportation issued a statement,
“At approximately 11:34 a.m. today, a firefighter was injured following an incident involving a CSX train in Fort Meade, FL. The firefighter was transported to Lakeland Regional Hospital. The train consisted of two locomotives and 58 rail cars. There were no injuries to the train crew. CSX is working with Polk County Sheriff’s Department to investigate the incident. Our thoughts are with the injured firefighter at this time.”
The crash is under investigation.
