Atlanta Firefighter Severely Injured in Wreck

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Photo Credit: Slade Family/GoFundMe

An Atlanta firefighter who suffered significant injuries while on the job is looking forward to the day he can return to the station.

FOX 5 Atlanta says that Tavaris Slade suffered a fractured skull, a broken foot, and fractured vertebrae when the fire truck he was riding in was involved in an accident on April 13. All in all, four firefighters were hospitalized, but Slade’s injuries were the most severe.

According to WSB-TV, the truck was responding to a fire on Jonesboro Road that morning when it struck a car at Jonesboro and McWilliams roads at about 9:30 a.m. The force of the impact then sent the truck off the road and into a nearby tree. One of the firefighters was trapped inside the truck, WSB-TV said. Witnesses said that the truck may have been in the wrong lane of traffic after trying to get around a stopped MARTA bus.

The firefighter faces a long and difficult recovery, but told FOX 5 Atlanta that he wants to get back to work as soon as possible. Slade, a U.S. Army veteran, has been a firefighter for ten years and said that he loves his job and is glad the other firefighters he was with will be back on the force shortly.

In the meantime, Slade’s family has set up a GoFundMe to assist them with medical expenses and to help cover the loss of some of Slade’s wages. You can donate to Slade and his family by using the widget below.