FIRST TONIGHT -- WE'RE
LEARNING DRAMATIC NEW
DETAILS ABOUT AN
UNUSUAL AMBULANCE
ACCIDENT THAT WAS
FIRST BREAKING LAST
NIGHT.
(SN)
THIS WAS THE SCENE IN
COVENTRY -- AFTER A 13-
YEAR-OLD BOY TOOK THE
WHEEL OF A RESCUE
VEHICLE -- COLLIDED WITH
AN ONCOMING
MOTORCYCLE -- AND
CRASHED INTO AN
EMBANKMENT!
(HE)
THE MOTORCYLCIST AND
A FIREFIGHTER WERE
BOTH HURT -- BUT THEY
ARE EXPEXCTED TO BE
O-K ...
...AND THAT'S HARD TO
BELIEVE -- AFTER SEEING
THIS CHILLING VIDEO OF
THE CRASH -- RELEASED
TODAY BY COVENTRY
POLICE ... TAKEN FROM
THE MOTORCYCLE
RIDER'S PERSPECTIVE.
(SN)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH
HAS BEEN WORKING THE
STORY ALL DAY LONG.
SHE JOINS US LIVE FROM
COVENTRY NOW WITH THE
WEST BAY MOBILE
NEWSROOM.
CENTRAL COVENTRY FIRE
CHIEF FRANK BROWN
TOLD ME JUST AFTER 8
LAST NIGHT - POLICE
BROUGHT A 13-YEAR-OLD
WITH AUTISM HERE TO
THIS FIRE STATION ON
FLAT RIVER ROAD-
BECAUSE THEY WERE
TRYING TO CALM HIM
DOWN - AND HE HAS AN
INTEREST IN
FIREFIGHTERS.
BUT IN JUST 30 SECONDS
OF THEM BEING HERE -
THE CHIEF SAID - MANY
LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN
DESTROYED.
HORROR - AND HEROISM -
CAPTURED ON SURVEILLANCE
CAMERA.
LOOK - AS OFFICIALS SAY THIS
13-YEAR-OLD BOY WITH AUTISM
RUNS INTO A CENTRAL
COVENTRY FIRE STATION - AND
A FIREFIGHTER RUNS AFTER
HIM.
YOU SEE THE LIGHTS ON A
BRAND NEW AMBULANCE TURN
ON - WHICH MEANS THE TRUCK
IS RUNNING.
- WHAT YOU DON'T SEE - FIRE
CHIEF FRANK BROWN SAYS - IS
THE BOY IN THE DRIVERS SEAT -
THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION -
AND THE HEROIC ACTIONS OF
NEW FIREFIGHTER - 24-YEAR-
OLD SCOTT BROWN JR.
"The firefighter runs around
from the
drivers side to the passengers
side
of the rescue with the windows
down. He is half in the window
trying
to shut reach to shut the rescue
off,
and stop the child from moving
the
truck."
IN THE NEXT SECOND - THIS:
THE TRUCK SPEEDS OUT OF
THE BAY - AND HITS A PARKED
CRUISER - CHANGING ITS
DIRECTION AS IT APPROACHES
ROUTE 117.
"When it strikes the rescue - it
dislodges the firefighter off
the
rescue - he lands in the middle
of
117."
UNBELIEVABLY - IN THAT EXACT
MOMENT - A MOTORCYCLE
HAPPENS TO BE TRAVELING
RIGHT TOWARD THE
AMBULANCE.
HERE'S THE POINT OF VIEW
FROM A CAMERA ON THE
MOTORCYCLIST'S HELMET.
YOU CAN SEE HERE IN SLOW
MOTION - THE FIREFIGHTER -
FALLING OFF THE SIDE OF THE
AMBULANCE.
EYEWITNESS NEWS WAS
THERE MOMENTS LATER
THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE
AMBULANCE WAS BEING
PULLED FROM A 10-FOOT
EMBANKMENT.
THE BOY WAS REPORTEDLY
BEING EVALUATED AT KENT
HOSPITAL - WHILE THE
FIREFIGHTER SUFFERED
INJURIES TO HIS KNEE - AND
THE MOTORCYCLIST WALKED
AWAY WITH JUST A BROKEN
FINGER.
"We could have been planning
funerals here this morning,
whether
that be the firefighter, the
police
officers, the mother, all these
people
were in the way of this heavy,
heavy
rescue."
(KW)
MOVING FORWARD - BOTH
THE FIRE AND POLICE
CHIEF SAID AT THIS TIME -
THEY DON'T PLAN ON
PRESSING ANY CHARGES
AGAINST THE BOY - BUT
THE INCIDENT IS STILL
BEING INVESTIGATED.
NEW AT 6 - FIND OUT IF
THEY PLAN TO CHANGE
THE POLICY OF LEAVING
THE KEY IN THE
AMBULANCE IGNITION.
LIVE IN COVENTRY - I'M
KAIT WALSH, EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
(HE)
COVENTRY POLICE SAY
THEIR FIRST CONCERN
TONIGHT IS HOW A 13-
YEAR-OLD BOY AND HIS
FAMILY ARE DOING ----
AFTER THE BOY DROVE
OFF WITH A COVENTRY
FIRE DEPARTMENT
AMBULANCE.
(SN)
WE'RE TOLD NO ONE WAS
SERIOUSLY HURT IN LAST
NIGHT'S INCIDENT ---
THAT INCLUDES THE
RIDER OF THE
MOTORCYCLE THAT
CRASHED INTO THE
AMBULANCE --- A MOMENT
THAT WAS CAUGHT IN THIS
DRAMATIC FOOTAGE FROM
THE RIDER'S HELMET
CAMERA.
(HE)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH
JOINS US LIVE FROM
COVENTRY WITH NEW
DETAILS AT SIX.
CENTRAL COVENTRY FIRE
IS BORROWING A
WESTERN COVENTRY
AMBULANCE WHILE
THEIRS IS REPAIRED - IT
WAS DAMAGED IN THIS
CRASH.
BUT THE CHIEF SAID
THATS WHY THEY HAVE
INSURANCE - THEYRE
LUCKY EVERYONE IS
GOING TO BE OKAY.
INCREDIBLE VIDEO.
A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY WITH
AUTISM - GETS BEHIND THE
WHEEL OF CENTRAL COVENTRY
FIRE DEPARTMENT'S NEW
AMBULANCE - AND FLOORS IT
AS A FIREFIGHTER HANGS
FROM THE PASSENGER
WINDOW - TRYING TO STOP HIM.
IN THE NEXT FEW SECONDS -
YOU SEE HIM HIT A PARKED
CRUISER - BEFORE SPEEDING
ACROSS ROUTE 117 AND DOWN
AN EMBANKMENT.
BUT LOOK AT THIS - A
MOTORCYCLIST IS TRAVELING
DOWN 117 AT THAT EXACT
SECOND - YOU SEE THE
FIREFIGHTER FALL OFF THE
AMBULANCE - JUST AS THE
MOTORCYCLE HITS IT.
UNBELIEVABLY - FIRE CHIEF
FRANK BROWN SAYS - THE BOY
WASN'T HURT - AND THE
MOTORCYCLIST AND
FIREFIGHTER HAD MINOR
INJURIES.
"The motorcycle guy could have
been a second earlier - and it
would
have been a different story."
COVENTRY OFFICIALS SAY THEY
COULDN'T HAVE PLANNED FOR
THIS.
"This was an anomaly that in my
25
years and Frank's 40, we've
never
seen."
CHIEF BROWN SAID THEY DON'T
PLAN ON CHANGING THE
POLICY OF LEAVING THE KEY IN
THE IGNITION OF AMBULANCES.
"That's how we respond. These
trucks are ready to go. We can't
be
looking for keys."
THE CHIEF PRAISED THE
RESPONDING FIREFIGHTER -
IDENTIFYING HIM AS 24-YEAR-
OLD SCOTT BROWN JUNIOR.
"He reacted to a situation
without
due regard to himself, and
firefighters across the country,
RHode Island, we do this every
day.
That's what these guys do."
BOTH CHIEFS SAID RIGHT
NOW THEY DONT PLAN ON
FILING ANY CHARGES.
AND THEY DO CONTINUE
THEIR OUTREACH
PROGRAMS TO HAVE
CHILDREN TOUR THE
STATIONS.
LIVE IN COVENTRY, IM KAIT
WALSH, EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
(HE)