Monday morning, the county commission approved the purchase of a 1993 International fire truck from SMJ Equipment in Texas. Tuesday, the truck was lying on its side in a ditch beside US 90 near Beaumont, the victim of a blown steer tire.
County fire chief Steve Carver and firefighter Dustin Railey flew to Texas to get the truck and bring it back to Douglas. According to county administrator Wesley Vickers, they inspected the truck and everything looked good. However, about 70 miles into their journey home, the right front tire blew out, sending the truck off the road and into the ditch, where it rolled over on its side. Chief Carver was driving at the time of the accident.
Neither Carver nor Railey were injured.
Vickers stated that the county had insurance on the truck. If it’s totaled, he said, the county will look for another truck.
Carver and Railey are on their way back and should be in Douglas Wednesday afternoon.