UPDATE: A Mississippi man has been arrested after police say he crashed his 18-wheeler into a Lafayette fire truck parked at the scene of an I-10 crash.
Lafayette Police arrested 51-year-old Nathan A. Martin of Mississippi in connection with the Thursday night crash that seriously injured one Lafayette firefighter.
Martin was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on charges of failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, open alcohol container, OWI first offense, and vehicular negligent injuring.
The crash occurred on I-10 West at Louisiana Avenue around 9:37 pm on March 10.
Fire crews were already on scene assisting officers with another crash on I-10 West when the 18-wheeler, allegedly driven by Martin, struck the front end of a parked fire truck with fire personnel nearby.
In an attempt to escape the impact and flying debris, one of the firefighters jumped over the ledge of the overpass and fell 20 feet to the cement below. He sustained severe injuries, they said.
According to LFD, he was immediately treated on scene by fellow firefighters, police officers, and Acadian Ambulance medics before being transported to a local hospital
He was listed in serious, but stable condition. No other first responders on the scene received any injuries.
LFD said that they will not be releasing the name of the injured firefighter for privacy reasons.
The department shared that the firefighter is 45-years-old and has been with the department for 4 years.
“As first responders, we respond to numerous emergencies during a given shift. Our mission is to provide quality service to the victims and ensure we make it home safely at the end of the day. Unfortunately, last night did not end that way for one of our firefighters,” states Chief Benoit. We ask that the community keep him, his family, and the firefighters in their prayers
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