WASHINGTON — Snow plows and salt trucks have been cruising the DMV for much of the past week, working to keep streets clear during the longest winter-weather stretch of the past several years. But as conditions in our area start to thaw, a popular social media account claimed first responders are taking things a little too far on area roads.
THE CLAIM:
Does a video show local firefighters driving recklessly on neighborhood streets?
THE SOURCES:
THE ANSWER:
No, the video captures a truck spinning out on icy roads while responding to an emergency in Missouri.
WHAT WE FOUND:
One week into icy, snowy conditions around the DMV, a post shared on a popular X account claims to show firefighters driving irresponsibly on a residential street. The post had more than 40,000 views.
“Even firefighters are now recklessly doing donuts on residential streets what have we come to?” wrote the account holder, who has more than 28,000 followers.
The video was actually first shared by a Facebook user based near St. Louis, Missouri, who says he caught the incident when trying to take a photo of another crash on his street.
Brian Munoz, a digital editor for St. Louis Public Radio, posted the video to X, where it’s been viewed more than 10,000 times. Our sister station in St. Louis, KSDK, also posted this viewer-submitted video showing another angle of the incident to its YouTube page.
According to KSDK, the Rock Community Fire Protection truck was responding to a call for a car that had crashed into a fire hydrant near Main Street and Old Antonio in Imperial around 7:30 a.m. Monday morning, when it ended up spinning out and crashing into a driveway. The St. Louis area has been dealing with freezing rain and icy conditions since early Monday morning.
Rock Community Fire Chief Kevin Wingbermuehle applauded the composure of the person behind the wheel of the 56,000-pound vehicle, whose actions may be credited with preventing any injuries in the accident. The chief, in a statement posted to the department’s Facebook page, is also encouraging people to share the video on social media, saying "it provides a pivotal opportunity to highlight the daily challenges and hazards faced by firefighters, the inherent risks in adverse weather conditions, and the importance of being prepared."
So we can verify, that the viral video does not show any DMV-area firefighters driving recklessly on local streets.
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