The High Point Fire Department has put a reserve engine in service after one of its fire trucks was damaged in a recent crash.
The incident took place on Eastchester Drive on Friday. According to a police report, while trying to avoid a collision, the fire truck went off the road into a car dealership lot, striking a number of unoccupied vehicles.
Deputy Fire Chief Jayson Valade says the engine was taken offline after the crash due to concerns of damage to the frame.
"We'll have it transported down to a company to have them kind of third-party inspect it, and then they'll report back to us whether or not it's salvageable and what it's going to cost to fix it," he says. "And then we've got the decision to make — is it worth fixing, or do we just buy a new truck?"
Valade says a new apparatus can run upwards of $1.1 million, and take a few years for the city to receive after being ordered.
While the total cost of damages from the accident is still being assessed, a city spokesperson said any expenditure over $90,000 would automatically require approval by the City Council.