Fire truck kills Union, NJ firefighter in 'terrible tragedy' (charged with arson and felony murder)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1230960961276930.xml&coll=1

Saturday, January 03, 2009
BY BRIAN T. MURRAY
Star-Ledger Staff

A Union County firefighter died yesterday after being run over by a fire truck at the scene of a blaze authorities say was set inside a vacant house by a homeless man trying to keep warm.

Gary Stephens, 57, a 28-year veteran of the Union County department, fell under the wheels of the truck at about 2:30 a.m., a half-hour after the fire broke out at 340 Marshall St. Authorities say the accident occurred as Stephens was standing behind the rig, directing the driver back toward a hydrant to lay hose. Stephens was briefly distracted, turned away for a moment, and was struck by the slow-moving truck, authorities said.

"It was a terrible tragedy, and the driver of the truck is devastated," Mayor J. Christian Bollwage said, adding that no procedural guidelines were violated.

Stephens was taken to Trinitas Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead several hours later.

At about 3:30 a.m., Emilio Vasquez, 19, walked into the same emergency room with burns to his hands and face, claiming he was injured in the fire, Elizabeth police said.

Vasquez, whom authorities later determined is homeless, initially offered a "strange and bizarre" tale of being kidnapped and tied up inside the house, but later admitted he set the fire to keep warm. He was charged with arson and felony murder in connection with Stephens' death, police Sgt. John Maloney said.

FULL story at link.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

1. There are no words

What a horrible tragedy

[Omaha Steve]

2. I lost a friend in similar circumstances on Valentines Day a few years back

It was a snow event. All personnel were working 12-16 hour shifts to plow snow. A dump truck was backing outside after a wash early in the (dark) morning. In the steam the driver lost contact of his helper backing him up. He crushed him against another truck he couldn't see driving in a cross angle behind him.

[malaise]

3. Too sad

How is the homeless man responsible for the death? He is guilty of arson.

[whistler162]

4. Here is a link to a description of what Felony Murder is

also why the website considers it wrong.

I don't share the view. If a person dies in direct consequence of a criminal act even if that act wasn't intended to kill then the criminal(s) are guilty of murder.

[Ikonoklast]

5. You NEVER EVER EVER stand directly behind a backing vehicle.

When a driver is using mirrors to back, the person doing the guiding should always stand off to one side of the moving vehicle.

NEVER EVER stand behind a backing vehicle. ALWAYS stand off to one side, and keep eye contact with the driver at ALL TIMES.

These people need to take a safety course if they think no guidelines were violated. If that was true, this man would still be alive.