Six injured when mock accident turns real in Detroit Lakes

Fargo Forum ^ | Brian Basham

[GOP_Party_Animal]

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. - Detroit Lakes High School students — who had gathered to watch a pre-prom auto accident drill Friday morning — were shocked to see an unmanned fire truck slowly accelerate down the street and plow into two cars that were staged for the mock crash, injuring several people.

Authorities said nobody appeared to be injured very seriously (although several were taken to the emergency room at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s to be checked out) and mechanics are examining the truck to see why it malfunctioned.

The crash occurred at a low speed, perhaps 5 mph or less, but the weight of the fire truck caused the chain-reaction accident, said Detroit Lakes Police Chief Tim Eggebraaten.

The mock crash started out as planned, with student actors portraying the aftermath of a drinking and driving accident on Madison Avenue near the high school, which is a fairly level street.

There were two cars involved in the mock accident — the first with a family of three and the second with five young people in it.

Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene, and soon after, it turned into a real accident.

[Boogieman]

“mechanics are examining the truck to see why it malfunctioned.”

Are they calling it a “malfunction” now when you forget the parking brake?

[Puckster]

I wonder if it was like the movies where they stand there in helpless fear, hands splayed by their faces, screaming for 2-3 minutes while certain disaster bears down on them.

[JRandomFreeper]

My hair is about 14 inches long. I don't blow dry it. Real men wring it out and go to bed with wet hair. ;)

I'll be so glad when I get to cut it off and donate it. It's getting too hot for long hair. I want my 1/4 inch buzz cut back.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

5 mph is faster than most people walk. And it wasn't far away, so I'm thinking it wasn't 2-3 minutes... but with current public schools? Who knows. Maybe.

I keep my head on a swivel for reasons like this.

/johnny

[Clay Moore]

The engine I drive is about 40K lbs. The quint (ladder) is about 65K. A lot of F=ma

Someone forgot to set the parking brake. The big transmissions do not have a “Park” position.

[Clay Moore]

[Carriage Hill]

I’ll bet that rig’s a “handful”? But a thrill to drive, and certainly to see!

[nascarnation]

Are they calling it a “malfunction” now when you forget the parking brake?

brain malfunction

[Disambiguator]

This was about 30 years ago.