Crossroads dangerous to emergency vehicles

Three people were injured Monday morning when a Carson City emergency vehicle was hit crossing Carson Street on College Parkway.

Acting Battalion Chief Mark Bowers was westbound on College Parkway with lights and siren on when he was struck by a southbound blue Olds Cutlass, driven by Dan Denny of South Lake Tahoe.

According to Carson City Fire Chief Lou Buckley, Bowers was creeping into the intersection, which has been an ongoing problem for emergency vehicles.

Bowers was responding to an 11:06 a.m. fire alarm in the 3000 block of College Parkway when he was hit.

A third car, a Ford Explorer driven by Pierce Flemming was also southbound when the accident occurred.

In an effort to avoid the accident, the driver went off the road and into a traffic signal control box, sheering it off at the ground.

Both occupants of the blue Olds and the driver of the Explorer were taken to Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

Buckley said Bowers was not injured, but was very upset by the accident.

"We're in the business of saving lives, not injuring people," he said.

The intersection has been the scene of up to 50 near accidents with emergency vehicles over the past year, Buckley estimated.

"We've had at least 50 close calls in the last year," he said. "Apparently, the driver didn't hear the siren. The traffic just does not seem to stop. People just keep on trucking."

Buckley said a system that would allow the drivers of emergency vehicles to change the lights as they passed through the city would reduce the chance of accidents.

Both Flemming and the two occupants of the Olds were hurt in the accident. They were transported to Carson-Tahoe Hospital by Carson City Ambulance.

Traffic was backed up at the intersection for about an hour while crews cleaned up the accident.