The Backstory: On July 28, a City of Sheridan fire truck ran off South Rose Street and struck a mailbox, a culvert, and a parked pickup truck on July 28.

The accident caused an estimated $7,000 in combined damage but no injuries, according to a Sheridan Police Department crash report obtained from Sheridan City Hall by the Fire.

After that story was posted on Facebook, the questions exploded. So I asked the city’s leaders. The first six questions were answered by Fire Chief Ben Hammon.

1. Was the fire truck responding to an emergency call at the time of the crash? The crash report lists the vehicle's emergency usage as “non-emergency, non-transport” — can you confirm what the truck was doing and where it was headed at 4:30 p.m. on July 28? The fire engine was responding to a medical emergency and was operating emergency lights and sirens. 

2. Was Patrick Christian Jones on duty at the time? Was he issued a citation? The crash report lists his driver action as “inattentive, careless, negligent, or erratic operation” but shows no citation. Can you explain why? Captain Jones was on duty and unfortunately veered too far right, causing the tires of the fire truck to leave the roadway. It’s is my opinion that inattentive is most likely the closest adjective in this wide array used, that would describe the incident. 

3. Has the department conducted or completed an internal review of the crash? If so, will the city release it? The incident is still under review until any and all steps are complete. 

4. The Fire Chief told the city council the 2009 Freightliner engine could be a total loss, but the crash report lists $5,000 in damage. Has a total-loss determination been made by the city's insurer (Arkansas Municipal League)? If so, what is the final figure and what is the truck's assessed/insured value? A total estimate of damage has not been completed at this time. The original $5,000 that was reported was based on a primary estimate on scene with limited knowledge of the extent. 

5. The crash report checks “disabling damage” but also states the truck was “not towed” from the scene. How did the truck leave the scene if it was disabled? “Disabling damage” in this incident refers to the fact that the fire engine could no longer fully function and operate in its capacity after the damage occurred. 

6. If the truck is declared a total loss, what is the plan and timeline for replacement, and what is the estimated cost to the city? The details regarding possible replacement are currently being discussed internally and will evolve as more details become available. 

The next three questions were answered by Mayor Cain Nattin.

7. What is the cost to the city, if any, of borrowing a truck from White Hall? There is no cost.

8. Is there a written interlocal agreement or memorandum covering the loan? Can the city provide a copy? No documentation exists.

9. How long is the truck expected to remain on loan, and what happens if Sheridan's engine is out of service longer than that period? Mayor Foster and I agreed that one (1) week loan was appropriate. Mayor Foster has been a great friend to me and to the City of Sheridan. His immediate offer to provide a fire engine while ours is out of service is the kind of leadership that reminds you we're all on the same team. Moments like this show what municipal partnerships are all about, neighbors helping neighbors. I'm sincerely thankful for his friendship, his leadership, and his willingness to answer the call when we needed it most.

Note: I checked back in with Mayor Nattin on Friday, Aug. 18 since some of these questions were answered a few days ago. He wrote: White Hall’s loaner engine is still available to us if needed. We have not had to utilize it at this point because Chief Hammond was able to place our Engine 4 back in service while we work through the situation with the damaged engine and the insurance adjuster.

I do want to emphasize how appreciative I am of Mayor Foster and the White Hall Fire Department for immediately stepping up and making an engine available to Sheridan. Knowing that resource is there if we need it has been a tremendous help, and I’m very grateful for their willingness to support our department and our community.

Note: A lot of people on Facebook erupted about the $1,500 mailbox that was damaged in the accident. I asked about it.

Police Chief Jason Teague responded, “The mailbox hit a vehicle in the driveway causing damage. That vehicle is vehicle #2 in the report.

Estimates for a report are only done by an officer on scene that does not know the extent to or amount of damages.  Insurance will handle true estimates and replacement or repair of anything to do with the vehicles, culvert, or mailbox.”