St. George firefighter recovers after antique fire truck crashes

ST. GEORGE, Utah – A St. George firefighter remained in the hospital after the 1940s ceremonial fire truck he was riding in lost its brakes and was struck by an SUV on Wednesday.

In the crash Wednesday morning at the corner of Deserts Edge Drive and Desert Canyons Parkway — about a half-mile from the Utah-Arizona border — a 76-year-old fire truck lost its brakes and collided with an SUV. The St. George firefighter driving the ceremonial vehicle has since been hospitalized, had minor back surgery and was also ticketed for running the stop sign.

The Washington County sheriff who handled the investigation and the St. George fire chief told Fox 13 that the 1948 Ahrens Fox fire pump was an exhibit that was on hand Tuesday for the grand opening of the department’s new 13,000-square-foot state. art station and training facility in the Desert Canyons area, about a mile and a half from St. George Airport.

According to the deputy, the firefighter was driving down this downhill portion of Desert Edge Drive toward the Desert Canyons main road when the brakes failed. The motorcycle went through the stop sign and a Ford SUV traveling on the Parkway crashed straight into the driver’s side of the 1948 fire pump.

While the driver of the SUV, the only passenger, was uninjured, firefighter Brandon Redd was transported to St. George Regional Hospital.

He had a procedure on Thursday in which a special cement was placed in his vertebrae today and was expected to go home on Thursday evening.

Redd was also ticketed for running the stop sign.

He also said that even if a driver loses their brakes and control, they will still be held responsible for an accident if they drive past a stop sign or light. He added that the crash remains under investigation.

St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker says the historic fire truck is history. A total loss.

Anyone who would like to help fund Redd’s medical expenses can visit their fundraiser here.