News

Mountain Home chief thanks community after ice accident

By Bill Moss, Published: January 14, 2015

Mountain Home Fire Chief Mahlon Hudgins and on-scene commander Ben Lanning thanked the community and their fellow emergency personnel for the "tremendous outpouring of concern and support for their firemen" after a Mountain Home fire truck lost traction on a slick road and slid down the mountain this morning at Carriage Park.

A fire lieutenant was transported to Mission Hospital with a broken collarbone and other injuries and two firefighters were treated at Pardee Hospital and released.

Three firefighters were injured in the accident at 8:06 a.m. when the truck responded to a motor vehicle accident in the steep neighborhood off Haywood Road. Two of the three firemen were injured when the fire truck slid off the road. A third was hurt in a fall at the scene while assisting, the sheriff's department said in a news release.

Those injured were:

• Lt. Matt Brackett, 31, an 11-year veteran of the fire department was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville where he is in stable condition with a broken collarbone and internal injuries.
• Rick Hodge, 51, an engineer and 19 year veteran of the fire department was taken to Pardee Hospital where he was treated and released.
• David Jones 39, an engineer was also in the fire truck but was not injured.
• Matthew Tweed, 25, a five-year volunteer with the fire department was injured when he fell on the ice at the scene. He was treated and released from Pardee Hospital.