Stolen fire engine in trail of destruction
Two arrests after drama in Northern Ireland street
A PENSIONER and a teenager were being quizzed by police yesterday – after a stolen fire engine crashed at speed into a row of houses.
A fire engine left a trail of destruction, ploughing into at least eight cars before smashing into terraced homes. One car was even thrown on to its roof.
Nearby residents who heard the incident thought there had been an explosion.
The engine, which had its blue flashing lights on, was stolen from a station in the coastal town of Larne, Northern Ireland, in the early hours of yesterday. The break- in also caused major damage to the fire
station.
Police said two men made off from the scene of the crash.
It was later confirmed that a pair aged 66 and 19 had been arrested and were in custody.
One of the men had earlier been treated in hospital for injuries.
Author Thomas Jobling, who lives on the street, was asleep in bed when he heard a crash around 4.30am.
Mr Jobling, whose own car was damaged, said he thought it was an explosion, but said when he looked outside he could not figure out how the fire service had arrived on the scene so quickly.
“I was fast asleep in bed around 4.30am when there was this horrendous bang and flashing lights – we just didn’t know what was happening,” he said.
“We thought it was possibly an explosion. We rushed downstairs and immediately saw the carnage of a line of eight or so cars with one sitting on its roof. My own car was side-swiped as well.
“The next thing we saw was the fire engine with the lights going and pulsing and realised it was tight up against another couple of buildings in the terrace.
“We were thinking again there is obviously a reason for it, but then realised the fire engine has got here far too quickly.
“Then we started to calculate what had happened.
“The fire engine was stolen, we understand, and at great speed came up here on the coast road, veered off and wiped out about eight cars.”
Mr Jobling added: “We are completely in shock, the neighbours on both sides of the road, we are just wondering how in the name of goodness can something like this happen.”
Fire chief Kevin O’Neill said: “At approximately 4.30 this morning Larne station was broken into and a fire engine was stolen.
“Subsequently this fire engine was driven into a number of cars and houses in the Larne area.”
He said the station was damaged in the break- in and the fire service was working to ensure emergency services were maintained.
Police have appealed for witnesses.