James Mattson, 79, died at the hospital this week after his black Honda CRV entered an intersection in Wichita as a Wichita Fire Department engine crossed it with lights and sirens active. The collision pushed both vehicles into a black Dodge Ram. The Ram driver and the four firefighters aboard Engine 20 were uninjured, and the Wichita Police Department Critical Accident Team is investigating.
Here on the Suncoast, this story lands because our roads look a lot like that scene every day. Fire crews run emergency calls through busy intersections, and our population includes a lot of retirees and snowbirds who’ve been driving for decades. That’s not a knock on anyone. It’s a reminder that emergency vehicle right-of-way is one of the most important rules on the road, and it applies even when the light is green. For every driver who’s ever had a siren approach from an unexpected direction, the lesson is universal: slow down, look both ways, and yield.
Suncoast drivers can use this as a quick self-check. Keep the radio reasonable, scan intersections more than you think you need to, and treat a siren like the signal it is. Whether you’re a newer driver or on your fifth decade behind the wheel, those two seconds of caution are cheap. The alternative is not, and no family should have to learn that the hard way.
Have you ever had an emergency vehicle surprise you at an intersection? Share your story in the comments, and let’s talk about how we share the road.
