Firefighters Injured In Accident

Four Ada County firefighters were injured when their truck collided with another vehicle and careened through a parking lot.

The crew responded to a fire alarm at Meridian Middle School Friday morning and raced to the scene.

On the way their fire truck collided with a 1-ton welding truck at an intersection.

The fire truck missed a tree and two power poles, hit a fence, veered into a parking lot, clipped three cars and bounced off a steel staircase at the Idaho Athletic Club in Meridian.

The four injured firefighters learned later the fire was a false alarm.

Firefighter Lynn Nokes of North Ada County Fire and Rescue underwent surgery for knee, leg and toe injuries.

Brian Ashton, 26; Dennis Young, 39; and Mike Frederick, 30, were treated and released from St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.

Welding truck driver Dennis Buchanan, 58, of Boise, also was treated and released.

“The fire truck’s steering column was sheared, and the air brake was damaged upon impact. There was no way for the driver to control it,” said Sgt. Rita Rowe of the Ada County Sheriff’s Department.