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When two fire trucks collided into each other last month at a Monterey Park intersection, they also smashed into a 52-year-old man, leaving him with horrific injuries.
Kenneth Thai told CBS Los Angeles his harrowing story of the aftermath of the crash. It left 15 people and 6 firefighters injured, but he came out of the collision with the most serious injuries that nearly took his life. Thai lost most of his right leg, has had to go through several facial reconstructive surgeries, and also suffers from injuries to his shoulder, arm and wrists.
An Alhambra Fire Department ladder truck plowed into a Monterey Park Fire Department truck at the corner of Emerson and Garfield avenues on April 16. Thai, who was waiting at the crosswalk after he had just finished grocery shopping, was struck by the trucks and pushed into Lu's Dumpling House restaurant. He was pinned underneath the engine.
When he woke up at the USC hospital, he was told that he had already lost his leg. "I cannot do nothing," he told CBS Los Angeles. "It’s very painful."
Authorities are still investigating just how a pair of fire engines managed to crash into each other. Thai's attorney Edward Lee has filed negligence claims against the cities, because he wants to make sure Thai gets compensation for his medical care.
“It’s obvious that (a fire truck) ran the red light, and I think that even though there are lights and sirens and they’re responding to an emergency situation, they still have to do that with reasonable care,” Lee told the Pasadena Star-News.
Four other people have filed claims against the city, saying that they were injured and suffered emotional distress because of last month's crash. Neng Ping Lin, 40, and Long Long Chen, 25, were dining together at Lu's Dumpling House when the fire truck came barreling through the wall. Lin told the Pasadena Star-News that the truck almost hit him and his chair fell over. He claims that there was glass that injured his eye, his spine hurts and he now suffers from psychological trauma. Chen's claims are similar, too.
Jiamin Zhu, 31, who was working at the restaurant at the time, said the crash caused her to fall and hurt her head, right wrist, right thigh and left hip. Xu Yang, 22, who was eating at Lu's Dumpling House, says he is suffering from lower back and hand pain.
