Stolen Northern Ireland fire engine ploughs into cars and houses

Crash: The engine ploughed into eight cars
PA
Mark Chandler5 March 2016

A pensioner and teenager have been arrested after a stolen fire engine smashed at speed into a row of cars and houses leaving a trail of destruction.

The engine, which had its flashing lights on when it crashed, was stolen from a fire station in Larne, Northern Ireland, in the early hours of this morning.

It ploughed into at least eight cars before smashing into a number of terraced homes.

Author Thomas Jobling, who lives on Glenarm Road where the incident happened, was asleep in bed when he heard a massive crash.

Mr Jobling, whose own car was badly damaged, said he thought it was an explosion, but when he looked outside he could not figure out how the fire service had arrived on the scene so quickly.

He said: "I was fast asleep in bed around 4.30am and then there was this horrendous bang and flashing lights - we just didn't know what was happening.

Trail of destruction: The crash happened early this morning PA
PA

"We thought it was possibly an explosion, we rushed downstairs and immediately saw the carnage of a line of cars, think it was probably eight cars, one sitting on its roof, my own car was side swiped as well.

"The next thing we saw was the fire engine with the lights going and pulsing, and realised it was tight up against another couple of buildings in the terrace.

"Explosion": Neighbours were woken up by the noise PA
PA

"We were thinking again there is obviously a reason for it, but then realised the fire engine has got here far too quickly.”

Group commander Kevin O'Neill from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue and Service (NIFRS) said: "At approximately 4.30 this morning Larne station was broken into and a fire engine was stolen.

Theft: The engine was taken from Larne station PA
PA

"Subsequently this fire engine was driven into a number of cars and houses in the Larne area."

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