Два пожарных из Гейнсвилла отстранены от работы после столкновения пожарной машины с автобусом

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Two Gainesville firefighters were suspended after their fire truck crashed into a public transit van at a four-way stop, causing the van to flip over. The collision happened Monday afternoon as the firefighters were responding to another crash. A report from the Georgia State Patrol said four firefighters were aboard the truck, and the driver “failed to use due regard by traveling through the stop sign at the intersection.” The driver was given a warning but not charged. The report said the truck was heading east on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard with its lights and siren on, and the van was heading south on Bradford Street. According to the report, the van driver came to a stop at the intersection, yielded to traffic, and drove forward. That’s when the fire truck smashed into the passenger side of the van, spun it clockwise, flipping it onto the driver’s side. The 27-year-old van driver was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. She was driving a van that belonged to WeGo, a rideshare service provided by Hall Area Transit. She declined an interview and requested her name not be released. A statement from the city of Gainesville identifies the fire truck driver as 31-year-old Logan Owensby. The name of the other firefighter was not released. Both firefighters were reprimanded and suspended for 24 hours without pay. They must complete two safe-driving courses – one from the fire academy and the other a city defensive driving course – before they can operate a city vehicle again. Owensby must also pass a drug screen before he can resume driving. Any other driving infractions in the next 12 months could result in further discipline, up to termination, according to the city’s statement. Eric Harris, the manager of SunAir, located at the intersection where the crash happened, was about to leave work Monday afternoon. “We heard a siren, a normal truck siren,” he said. “When it went off, about three or four seconds later, you heard a collision.” He was relieved the driver was not seriously hurt and that she had no passengers “because those vans, they usually carry a lot of people.” The statement from the city described the van driver as a part-time employee who’s also a student. “Needless to say, the driver was in a bit of shock after the accident,” it said. “But we are extremely proud of how professionally she handled the situation. She was quick to alert Hall Area Transit dispatchers, which allowed us to come to her aid and reassign scheduled riders to other vans. We expect the driver to return to service next week after she’s gotten some much needed rest.” The National Fire Protection Association reports an estimated 16,900 fire truck collisions across the U.S. in 2024, with about 650 firefighter injuries. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: - Marietta High School football team embarks on once-in-a-lifetime trip to England - Dog put in plastic bag while still alive, rolled into woods in grocery cart, deputies say - Suspect sought after officer dragged hundreds of yards during traffic stop [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] ©2026 Cox Media Group