Firefighters worked in icy conditions this morning responding to a crash involving a tractor-trailer on the Long Island Expressway near Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
In the early hours of morning on Jan. 5, emergency responders from FDNY Battalion 46, Squad 288, HazMat 1, Engine 324 and Ladder 136 arrived to the scene on the Long Island Expressway at the Grand Central Parkway. Firefighters discovered a tractor-trailer had hit the barrier and overturned onto the roadway, spilling close to a thousand pieces of plywood across three lanes of traffic.
The driver of the truck was able to remove himself from the vehicle and sustained only minor injuries, according to the FDNY.
Firefighters then worked together to remove the plywood from the roadway and were able to restore normal traffic conditions.
Conditions were dark, windy and a mere 11 degrees when emergency responders first got the call, according to FDNY Battalion Chief Frank Leeb, Battalion 46. Icy roads made the call “especially challenging.”
“Our main concern was for our members, but also for the traffic around us,” Leeb said. “The teamwork from our members made the offloading process run smoothly, and combined with our continuous training at the FDNY, the familiarity with our equipment also helped, as well.”
