Volunteer Firefighter Killed in Accident Involving Fire Truck - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

BLOXOM, Va. - A fatal accident leaves a volunteer firefighter in the small town of Bloxom, Va dead.

A fire truck driving on Nelsonia Rd. lost control while rounding a curve around 11:30 AM on Monday. The truck ran off the road, hit several trees and overturned - throwing 30-year-old David Chew Jr. who was not wearing a seatbelt, out of the truck. Police say he died on impact.  The driver, 44-year-old James Lambirth was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Md and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Stacey West was having bible study inside her home at the time of the accident. "We heard something say, 'ka boom!' First it sounded like the fire truck - we heard it coming around the corner. You know, most people would think that something has happened, but we discovered that the fire truck itself was in the accident. It had landed sideways."

The fire truck was severely damaged. "It was a 1999 Pierce Pumper fire truck. It all depends on the amount of damage that was done. Fire trucks are completely different from regular vehicles, so I don't know if they're going to total it out," Public Information Officer Sergeant Michelle Anaya said.

Residents stand shocked. "This is the first time I've ever seen anything devastating like this in my life, close up. It was sad because someone lost a life to try to save someone else's life," West said.

The case is being reviewed by the commonwealth attorney and charges are pending against Lambirth.