FARMLAND – A Farmland firefighter died this morning when a fire truck overturned while responding to a call.
Kyle T. Osgood, deputy chief of the Farmland Volunteer Fire Department, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash this morning.
“This one’s going to take a while,” the Farmland firefighter said Jeff Willen this morning.
Another firefighter, Zachary Lee, 19, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted for treatment.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security confirmed details about the incident in a press release shortly after noon today.
Osgood and Lee were responding to a call about a barn fire when the tanker they were in overturned on a curve on Highway 1000 West about a quarter mile north of Highway 400 North. Both were thrown from the truck, which came to rest on top of them, according to the press release. (They were the only firefighters in the truck at the time of the accident.)
Osgood, whose grandfather previously served as the department’s chief, was pronounced dead at the scene around 6:30 a.m., the release said.
Lee suffered serious leg injuries. He was taken to a Fort Wayne hospital in critical condition.
Randolph County Sheriff Art Moystner turned the incident investigation over to the Indiana State Police.
“We’re such a tight-knit community that I didn’t want anyone who knew (the firefighters and the family) to be involved in the investigation,” the sheriff said.
Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones responded to the scene to assist the firefighters and their families.
