Firefighter charged after fire truck hits 11-year-old girl in Toronto
By the Canadian Press
Victim was walking across the street via crosswalk
A girl was struck by a fire truck responding to an emergency call in Toronto on Dec. 16. (eskystudio/Adobe Stock)
TORONTO (CP) — A Toronto firefighter has been charged with careless driving, police said Friday, more than a month after an 11-year-old girl was hit by a fire truck in the city’s midtown area.
The truck had its lights and siren on and was responding to an emergency call when the incident took place on Dec. 16, police said.
The girl was crossing the street in a crosswalk at the time, spokeswoman Meaghan Gray said in an interview Friday. She was given first aid at the scene and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Gray said.
“She’s actually still in hospital today being treated for her injuries,” she said.
Police said their traffic services division investigated in consultation with provincial prosecutors.
They said the Toronto firefighter driving the vehicle — whose name wasn’t provided — has been charged with careless driving causing bodily harm and passing a stopped vehicle at a crosswalk.
While emergency vehicles responding to calls are exempt from speeding infractions and those related to crossing red lights, there is no exemption for stopping at crosswalks, Gray said.
“We’re alleging that the fire truck failed to stop at the pedestrian crossover,” she said.
Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said the firefighter remains on active duty and is highly trained, with 22 years of service.
Pegg said in a statement that Toronto Fire Services is conducting an internal investigation to ensure there are no more such incidents.
“My thoughts, and the thoughts of the entire Toronto Fire Services team, are with the young girl and her family during this difficult time,” he said. “Each of us sincerely hopes for a full and speedy recovery.”
Meanwhile, provincial police said Friday two men have been charged after a fire truck rolled over into a ditch in Kincardine, Ont., last fall.
They said a passenger was injured in the single-vehicle crash that took place the afternoon of Oct. 24.
Michael Moore, 54, is charged with careless driving and Mark Stopford, 33, with failing to properly wear a seatbelt. Both are from Kincardine.
