A fire accident in Palmer Township leaves the driver in critical condition; police, firefighters injured during response – Morning call

Police and Palmer township firefighters were injured Saturday night as they responded to a severe accident by rescuing a victim who was trapped in a fire truck.

According to a Palmer City police press release, police and firefighters arrived at the scene of a head-on collision of two cars near the intersection of Main Street and Van Buren Road around 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The male driver was unconscious and trapped in one of the burning cars.

Response officers rescued the hijacked driver, and firefighters put out the blaze. The driver was taken to the district emergency department in critical condition. The driver of the second car with minor injuries was taken to a local hospital.

One police officer and one firefighter were taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation and a fire extinguisher, but were later released. Three Palmer police officers and one firefighter received on-site assistance with the same injuries.

Palmer township police are investigating the incident. Anyone who witnessed the crash or saw a red Volkswagen Jetta driving on Main Street on Saturday night can contact Palmer Police at 610-253-5844.