BETHALTO - Several local fire departments responded to a blaze at the corner of Williams Street and North Prairie Street Thursday morning in Bethalto, resulting in a fire engine being struck by a motorist.
According to a release from the Bethalto Police Department, the Bethalto Volunteer Fire Department and the Bethalto Police Department responded to the fire around 6:50 a.m. The fire was spotted by motorists who called 911. The owner of the home was not in the residence. While responding to the fire, however, an engine from the Cottage Hills Fire Department was struck by a motorist in the intersection of State Route 140 and State Route 111. No one was injured in the fire, nor in the fire engine, which was struck, but the motorist was ejected from the vehicle.
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That motorist was then transported to Alton Memorial Hospital by Lifestar ambulance. That person was both conscious and alert during transfer, the release said, and his injuries were deemed recoverable by first responders at the scene.
While that person is in good condition, the motorist has several traffic citations pending as a result of the crash, and the investigation is currently ongoing. The crash caused the closure of the eastbound lanes of State Route 140 at State Route 111.
The initial fire, which caused the additional fire engines in the area from Cottage Hills, Meadowbrook, East Alton and Rosewood Heights, was successfully extinguished, and the home was saved. It did incur heavy fire and smoke damage, however.
Schools in Bethalto were notified of these incidents due to the impact caused on both bus routes and parents transporting their children to school. The district activated its School Reach messaging system to notify parents.
Traffic had returned to normal by 9 a.m., the release said.
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