Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana Fire Truck Crash at Standard Station 1952

These two fire trucks crashed at a Standard gas station at Vandeventer and Easton in St. Louis, Missouri in 1952. Three firemen were killed. No telling how much worse it could have been if it involved the gas pumps instead of the pole sign.

I dunno, ever seen the bill on repairing a Fire truck ? I have , it's breath taking !!!!!!!!!! Ed Shaver

That is one amazing picture Jim !

I meant that the crash could have resulted in a huge fire with more loss of life if the trucks had hit a gas pump island.

Of course the loss of life was terrible, but there is some irony in the sign under the one truck-"drive in-Save"!
Fred

About the "dive in save" sign. Is that a standard oil issued sign?

Reminds me of the time i tried to pull into a station in the bay area with a load of gas,firemen would not let me in,a car had driven off with ths gas nozzle still in the tank.It pulled the pump over and started on fire,the fire was out but lots of fumes in the area.That was before break away hoses,not sure if that is nation wide but definitely mandatory in Ca.

Wonder if the firemen would have lived with wearing seatbelts from that era, if even the trucks had them...

Thanks for the picture ,Jim. This reminds me of my dad. Just after my father got out of the Army in WW2 he got on the Cleveland fire department. He retired with a heart attack in '73. Eventually he became the driver of a pump truck. Up until some time in the '60s, I believe, guys actually used to stand on the back and sides of the trucks. He was stationed in the ghetto of Cleveland and had many stories of the dangers and accidents that happened over the years.

Wow!!! That is one hell of a pic and that had to be one hell of a hit!!!

How was it the pole withstood the crash?

Here's a blurb (below) I found on this accident...I am sure there were other bad accidents over the years, but I am guessing this one became a footnote in St. Louis history because of Grady.

'On June 9, 1952, Engine 17 and Hook and Ladder 9 collided at Vandeventer and Easton while responding to an alarm, killing Private William Grady, the only African-American to be killed in the line of duty, up until Captain (post.) Derek Martin in 2002. Two other firefighters also perished at the accident.'

Couldn't find a newspaper article about it but from Grady's obituary: Died from injuries suffered in collision when pumper collided with hook and ladder truck at Vandeventer and Easton. Died of fractured skull and traumatic amputation of left leg in collision.

I want to add that I am a big supporter of both fire stations that serve our area and always participate in any fund raiser and/or raffle for any unit at whatever event/swap meet/fair I am at. Between the paid and all volunteer, these men and women have always put their lives on the line for us as is dramatically shown in this photo.

Here's a video I stumbled upon a little while ago:
fire truck crash

Here is an article about the incident.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/...50e0ed8932.html

Chuck

Thanks to the article I was able to find the station via google earth...

If you go to the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and North Vandeventer Avenue, in St. Louis, you can still see the old station building, though the pole is gone, as well as some of the buildings.

I had to re bump this picture Jim posted . I am working a deal on a kb 6 like the totaled one one the right . This pic is amazing but so sad as well . Terrible that 3 fireman lost there lives that day .