Woman dies after being struck by fire truck hose in Cambridge, Massachusetts

January 30, 2010

A woman has died after being struck by a hose attached to a fire truck in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Gertrude King, aged 82, came from the town of Somerville.

On Tuesday, she was standing on a median strip on a road to allow a fire truck to pass through. As the truck passed, the fire hose attached to it dislodged and was left dragging behind the vehicle; the elderly woman was struck in the knees by the trailing hose. According to Cambridge Police, Gertrude died in Massachusetts General Hospital on Thursday. Deputy Superintendent Jack Albert of Cambridge Police stated, "[w]e do know the hose is 200 feet long and we believe that the hose was completely off the truck and being dragged at the time it struck."

An investigation is underway. The police have said that, at present, they are unable to determine the cause of the loose hose. Gertrude was said to be unable to get out of the way in time. Elanor Raniri, who lives in the same apartment complex as Gertrude, said, "[s]he was very special. It's unbelievable. It's hard to take in."