Firefighter's legs broken by vintage fire trucks

Fergus Keith, a volunteer at the Omokoroa brigade. Photo / Betty Jeeves

A firefighter had both legs broken when he was crushed between two vintage fire trucks after the Te Puke fire brigade's centenary parade.

Fire service assistant area commander Aaron Waterreus said the fire trucks were being taken back to the station after the parade when one drove into the back of another at the corner of Jocelyn S and Jellicoe streets about 10.30am on Saturday.

The firefighter is Fergus Keith, a volunteer at the Omokoroa brigade.

"He was standing on the rear step of one of the vintage trucks. With the nose to tail he was stuck between the two vehicles," Mr Waterreus told the Bay of Plenty Times.

A St John Ambulance spokesman said Mr Keith was taken to Tauranga Hospital with moderate leg injuries.

Mr Keith's wife, family and colleagues had been offered support.

"It was supposed to be a day of celebration and it's quite unpleasant when one of your guys gets injured," Mr Waterreus said.

Mr Keith's wife, Carolyn, said: "He's doing okay. He'll be fine eventually."

Te Puke deputy chief fire officer Dale Lindsay said the incident put a "rather large damper" on the weekend's celebrations.

Mr Lindsay said the road was reopened sooner than expected after the parade and a car "appeared to whizz through" the roundabout forcing the front fire truck to stop suddenly but the second fire truck did not stop in time.