Story courtesy of BBBTV12 – SOUTH ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — On Tuesday afternoon, an unusual incident occurred in South Roane County’s Blackberry community near the Loudon County line, where a 2009 Ford Explorer, used by the South Roane County Fire Department, rolled approximately 150 feet and collided with a LifeStar air ambulance helicopter.

Fire Chief Mike Curtis, in an exclusive phone interview, stated he has no explanation for how the vehicle, which was parked on level ground as part of the landing zone perimeter, began rolling. The truck was confirmed to be in park at the time of the collision. No injuries were reported, which Chief Curtis emphasized as fortunate.

The LifeStar helicopter, with less than 100 hours of operation, sustained a cracked windshield and front-end damage, rendering it unable to fly. It will be transported by truck for repairs. The pilot was inside the helicopter during the incident but unharmed, while two paramedics were treating a Hispanic male patient with possible head trauma from a nearby construction site.

Following the collision, the patient and paramedics were transported to UT Medical Center’s trauma unit in Knoxville via ground ambulance. Chief Curtis noted the truck was traveling at approximately 10 miles per hour during the impact, causing front-end damage that may result in the vehicle being totaled, pending an insurance assessment.

The Ford Explorer was donated to the fire department by Volunteer Electric Cooperative. Curtis, who arrived about a minute after the incident, plans to recreate the scene to investigate the cause of the vehicle’s movement. The Tennessee Highway Patrol is handling the report, which is unusual due to the involvement of a helicopter on a roadway.

The incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, not Wednesday as initially reported. Updates will follow as more information becomes available.