Truck was traveling at 47 mph when it hit SUV on Sunday, killing 3 occupants
By Gus G. Sentementes
Baltimore Sun
Copyright 2007 The Baltimore Sun
BALTIMORE — The driver of a city firetruck that hit a sport utility vehicle on Sunday, killing its three occupants, sped through a red light at a Northwest Baltimore intersection while traveling 47 mph, police said the preliminary results of their investigation shows.
Sterling Clifford, a Baltimore police spokesman, said the SUV was traveling about 23 mph when it was hit by the truck at Park Heights Avenue and Clarks Lane about 3:20 a.m. He said the driver of the SUV, Iryna Petrov, 49, had a blood-alcohol content level of .06, just below the legal limit of .08.
“This is not a determination of cause,” Clifford said this morning. “These are some basic facts that we know, but as far as city government is concerned, this is still an incident under investigation.”
Officials said they have not determined whether charges will be filed. Once police conclude their investigation, expected in a few weeks, the results could be turned over to city prosecutors.
The driver of Truck 27 was identified yesterday as Nathaniel D. Moore, 40, a firefighter and paramedic apprentice who joined the department three years ago. Passengers in the firetruck were Lt. Thomas Moore, a 33-year veteran, not related to the driver; Darryl Alexander, a 25-year veteran; and Kenneth Jacobs, a 13-year veteran.
In addition to Iryna Petrov, her passengers — husband Mikhail Petrov, 35, and friend Igor Saub, 24 — were also killed.
All emergency vehicles operating in Baltimore are required to stop at red lights, even when responding to calls. The drivers can proceed through a red light or a stop sign after stopping and ensuring that the intersection is clear.
Clifford said Truck 27 was the third of four fire vehicles to travel through the intersection within seconds of each other that morning, while en route to a nearby apartment complex to check on a report of smoke in the hallway of an apartment complex.
Police have been aided by video footage of the accident, which was recorded by multiple surveillance cameras in the area, including at least one police camera, Clifford said.
“The next step is [for the accident investigator] to complete his investigation,” Clifford said. Earlier this week, accident investigators shut down Park Heights Avenue to complete a reconstruction of the crash.
“There are a number of other things [the investigator] has yet to look at, some other determinations he’ll need to make,” Clifford said. “At that point, his report will go to the state’s attorney’s office for their determination on charges.”
He said that the Fire Department will have to decide on possible administrative charges which means the firefighters on the truck that morning could face sanctions, such as loss of pay, up to and including termination.