UPDATE: The CFA has released a statement with more detail on the crash.
They say the Sebastopol LP Gas support vehicle was responding to a house fire at Linton when it collided with a hatchback, at the intersection of Post Office Road and Sebastopol-Smythesdale Road in Ross Creek, around 3am.
“The dual cab ute rolled two or three times. Three passengers were left with minor injuries, while its 57 year old driver had to be cut from the wreckage by a specialist CFA rescue crew based in Ballarat,” the CFA said.
“All four members were taken to Ballarat Base Hospital. While the three passengers have been sent home the driver is being treated for a fractured vertebrae. He has been transferred to a Melbourne Hospital for observation and further tests”
“Early indications suggest the driver of the CFA vehicle was not at fault.”
Neither of the hatchback’s occupants were injured in the crash according to the CFA.
District 15 Operations Manager Brett Boatman said it was a reminder of the dangers CFA firefighters face.
“It’s an unfortunate reminder that the dangers that come with responding to an emergency call aren’t just limited to the incident scene.
”The crash did not compromise CFA’s response to the house fire or delay efforts to extinguish it.”
EARLIER:
A CFA vehicle en route to an emergency was involved in crash last night after a car failed to give way at Ross Creek, police have said.
The CFA four-door ute had its lights on responding to a fire at Linton.
The accident happened in Post Office Road around 3am.
Sergeant Adam Tink from Ballarat said it appeared the CFA was on the way to a job.
“It appears the vehicle has failed to give way,” he said.
While the case is with Bacchus Marsh police he said Ballarat assisted at the scene.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said three men were taken to the Ballarat Base Hospital in stable conditions.
She said one man had minor injuries, another had chest pain and another had chest and neck pain.
