The vehicles collided at the intersection of Marcy Avenue and Hewes Street just after 11 a.m. The FDNY fire truck was on an emergency call when it hit the van and went onto the sidewalk, taking a fire hydrant with it.
Four people were injured, including 3 firefighters and a civilian.
Witnesses at the intersection told police what they saw and heard - some with conflicting stories.
'He made no sirens just the light on and i saw this car coming and just banged into him like he's going to kill him," said Morris Friedman.
Another witness said she heard sirens before the accident. "I heard the sirens way before the accident happened," said Myriam Ondarza.
What isn't in question is how firefighters moved to aid the driver of the van-even though they too were hurt.
"Fire lieutenant comes out from the truck with broken ankle, and he managed to go to the driver and tried to see if everything was OK. So I was very impressed with that," said eyewitness Joel Wag.
The three firefighters suffered minor injuries. The van's driver was more seriously hurt, but nothing life-threatening.
The firefighters were taken to Bellevue with minor injuries. The driver of the mini van was said to suffer much more serious injuries.
