Hampshire firefighters hurt when truck hits pole

Two Hampshire firefighters were injured after their engine crashed into a utility pole while heading to a training exercise Sunday afternoon.

Kane County sheriff's office Lt. Pat Gengler said the crash occurred about 12:15 p.m. on Kelly Road about a mile east of Harmony Road. He said that section of Kelly Road was still closed to traffic more than three hours after the crash.

Gengler said Jeffery R. Becker, 21, was driving the 1986 Mack pumper east on Kelly Road when he crossed a hill and noticed a Ford pickup stopped in the westbound lane.

Becker drove onto the shoulder on the east side to avoid the truck, then struck the utility pole, authorities said.

Gengler said Becker was taken to Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin, where he was treated for minor injuries. Firefighter Rick Heine, 50, was flown to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center for treatment of injuries that weren't considered life-threatening.

Authorities said the 74-year-old Ford pickup driver wasn't injured.

Gengler said no citations had been issued as of Sunday. He said authorities expected to have a complete picture of what happened Monday.

Check back for updates in Monday's Daily Herald and on dailyherald.com.