Wiggins firefighter recovering after being pinned beneath fire engine

WIGGINS, Miss. (WLOX) - A wreck involving a fire engine happened in Wiggins Saturday night. A firefighter, who remains anonymous, was responding to an accident when the vehicle flipped, pinning them underneath.

“Whenever I got there, first thing she told me was get me out,” Wiggins Fire Chief Steven Purvis says.

The firefighter was en route around 11:40 p.m., traveling on Highway 26 by Bay Drive and C Earl Road when witnesses say the fire truck flipped twice.

“She was pinned under the vehicle just right at the driver door, she had her seatbelt on. That’s really what more than likely what kept her injuries from being more significant than they were,” Chief Purvis says.

“With all the weight from the water on the truck, they are very easy to flip. It doesn’t take much, going off the road just a little bit could be enough to cause it to flip,” firefighter Clayton Sharp explains.

Sharp says he was at home and heard the call on the radio, so he responded to the scene in his personal vehicle.

“The whole ride over there I was thinking to myself... I have no idea what I’m about to come upon.”

Sharp described the scene as chaotic. Air packs, axes, and other equipment were thrown from the truck.

Fire Chief Steve Purvis says that by the time he arrived, crews were able to use the Jaws of Life to free the trapped first responder in around 10 minutes.

“So far, she seems to be on the mend. Still having a few complications but nothing super significant as of now.,” Chief Purvis says.

“That’s just another reminder of how dangerous this job can be, and that you never know when you get on that truck what could happen,” Sharp says.

Chief Purvis tells WLOX that the Mississippi Highway Patrol is still investigating the accident.

Stone County has since replaced the Wiggins Fire Department vehicle involved in the wreck, so the crew will continue to operate with three fire trucks.

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