Fire chief Steve Andrews confirmed last week that Engine 1 is a total loss after a rollover crash in Milner May 27. ‘It was totally destroyed. I don’t think there is a piece of metal on it that was not bent. We were very fortunate the firefighter was not seriously injured,’ Andrews said. An accident report on the crash prepared by the Georgia State Patrol identifies the driver as Joseph Lee Peters, 43. He was alone in the 2002 Kenworth truck. The report notes the crash happened at the intersection of Milner’s Main Street (old Hwy. 41) and Hwy. 41. The report says Peters was responding to a call with his lights and sirens activated when he attempted to negotiate a right curve while traveling too fast and overturned. Chief Andrews said Peters lost the brakes on the unit prior to the crash. ’There was a car coming at him in the other lane. He had to either hit the ditch or hit the car,’ he said. Firefighters worked all last week, stripping the wrecked engine of parts and equipment. The county already had two 2011 HME fire trucks on hand that it was equipping. HME is the same company that built the Barnesville department’s ladder truck. Much of the salvageable equipment from the wrecked unit was transferred to one of the new trucks which was pressed into service early and now carries the call sign Engine 1. The wrecked truck was insured through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. ’I’m sure dealing with that will be a nightmare,’ the chief concluded.
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