A group of Fort Worth firefighters is progressing in their recovery after their engine truck overturned in an accident earlier this week, according to officials.
The Fort Worth Fire Department reported that the team was en route to a house fire around 2:30 a.m. in the 4500 block of Pecos at Village Creek when the truck rolled over near the Eugene McCray Community Center.
Officials stated that Engineer Matthew Schneider and Firefighter Devin Kuhn were treated for minor injuries and discharged the same morning.
Firefighter Clint Robinson underwent surgeries and was discharged from the hospital on Thursday, according to the department. They anticipate his healing and rehabilitation process to last another three to six months.
Captain Daniel Terrell, who sustained life-threatening injuries, is also showing progress, officials said. He was moved out of the Intensive Care Unit on Thursday.
The Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association, whose members have been with their injured colleagues at JPS Hospital since the accident, expressed relief at the news.
“It’s a tremendous relief, right? Tuesday morning was a rough morning; we weren’t sure how things were going to go,” said Vice President Zac Shaffer.
Shaffer, who knows Terrell personally, said he shows up to the hospital anytime one of their own gets injured. But it hit differently once he found out who it was this time.
“I had a moment of panic at home, from the notification time to the time I got here,” he said.
Shaffer said they’re cautiously optimistic about Terrell’s recovery.
“I do understand he has been talking a little bit; he’s trying to get up and move around quite a bit,” he said. “He’s a very strong guy; it doesn’t surprise me at all that his—body hasn’t responded to a big challenge at all.”
“He’s made some great strides, but he’s got a lot of milestones to achieve before he’s back to 100%,” Shaffer added.
Shaffer said he and his team have been rotating shifts at JPS 24/7 to help Terrell’s family with food, lodging, and activities for the kids.
“I’m very attached to Daniel, as a person and as a friend, but I also understand that he needs me to do my job out here to make sure his family’s comfortable, and that’s the best way I can serve him,” Shaffer said.
Fort Worth Police are investigating the cause of the accident and have not yet released any details.
