A Murdo firefighter died while on the way to a large grass fire Saturday evening. The single-vehicle crash happened four miles north of Draper, SD, according to a press release. The 37-year-old firefighter was driving north on 279th street in a fire truck just before 7 p.m. when it left the road and rolled. Officials say the driver was thrown from the truck and died at the scene.
The press release indicated that the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. The South Dakota Highway patrol is still investigating the crash, and the name of the person involved has not been released pending notification of family members.
The Murdo Volunteer Fire Department sent out a press release, saying they were deeply saddened to announce the death of one of their members, asking the public to respect the families and department’s privacy as the investigation is underway. In the press release, the Murdo Volunteer Fire Department said that the grass fire was 1200 acres, and the progression of the fire has been stopped.
