The driver of a Tamaqua Fire Department fire engine made a split-second decision Saturday to bypass railroad crossing gates and pass in front of an oncoming train responding to a fire in an apartment building.
At about 4:30 p.m. the fire department was called to 117 West Broad Street in Tamaqua to an apartment fire that quickly spread to adjoining buildings.
On the way to the fire, one fire truck was blocked by a railroad crossing gate that had activated to let a tourist train carrying leaf peepers pass through.
Initial calls suggested someone could be trapped in the fire, though that turned out to be untrue. The fire chief told WNEP that he had spoken with the driver about the incident.
