Kimball police officer Tom Decker remembers everything about that unfortunate multiple-vehicle crash last Tuesday, Feb. 1. He had pulled over Miles Dosch for suspicion of driving under the influence when Dosch complained of chest pain and requested an ambulance. “When the Kimball ambulance arrived, I did some work in my trunk and then went back to my seat and began writing some paperwork,” Decker said. “Then I heard a squealing sound, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw a semi coming (at me) sideways.” Investigators at the scene last Tuesday had determined that the semi first hit a Ford Explorer driven by Dan Notsch of Grove City. As his vehicle landed in the ditch, the semi took out a Kimball Fire Department grass rig? that had been parked on the side of the highway by responders Butch Stelton and Bill Thell. The semi then hit the Kimball Fire and Rescue ambulance, which in turn crashed into the back of Decker’s squad car. The other fire squad members on the scene were fire chief Tom Ehlinger, Ron Daniels, Dave Traurig and Mark Dockery; they were all outside any vehicles. “I have no memory of the accident,” Ehlinger said. “The last thing I remember, I was standing at the rear end of the police squad car assisting Mark Dockery and holding my clipboard keeping notes on the patient.” Ehlinger suffered a concussion, several broken ribs, broken bones in his back, and a lot of bruises on the right side of his body. After the crash, Decker managed to call for help on his radio. Decker, Ehlinger, Daniels, Dockery, Notsch, Dosch and semi driver Duane Fossen were immediately transported to the St. Cloud Hospital. All but Dockery, who suffered severe injuries to his left wrist, have returned home. For Decker, all that matters is that everyone – with the exception of Dockery – is back home. He’s also very aware that the crash could have been a lot worse. On the other hand, Ehlinger, who doesn’t remember anything of the incident, finds the details of the accident unsettling. “It’s kind of hard to believe what happened,” Ehlinger said. Since the crash, community members have come together to assist and support the families of the injured firefighters. Some were reminded of the incident that occurred some 18 years ago that took the life of fire and rescue squad member Katie Gohman. This is all it takes to remind the fire and rescue members that their lives are on the line every time they respond to an emergency call. “Anytime a person is involved in an accident like this, you are going to re-evaluate things,” Ehlinger said. “We get 140 calls a year and (my wife) knows I am putting my life on the line. I really want to stress to people that it isn’t just the firefighters that are affected but so are their families.” On Monday, Feb. 7, Decker came back to work and it was just like any other day: a busy day. He is appreciative of the concern and support the community members have shown him and the firefighters who were injured, though he feels it is important to acknowledge what Traurig and Thell did when the crash occurred. Thell and Stelton had arrived in the Kimball Fire grass rig at the same time Ehlinger, Daniels, Dockery and Stelton arrived in the ambulance. Fortunately, Traurig, Thell and Stelton weren’t hurt in the crash and immediately administered first aid to everyone injured on the scene. “They did an excellent job,” Decker said.
