Denton PD highlights importance of moving over or slowing down after recent string of crashes

DENTON, Texas - Denton police say they will usually see one or two squad cars hit each year. But in recent weeks, they've been involved in three separate collisions.

Dash cam video shows Denton firefighters walking back to their engine, clearing a call to put out a grass fire. A brush truck then pulled off and left.

Then less than one minute later, the driver of an 18-wheeler hit two remaining fire engines before it crashed and flipped on its side.

"It actually hit the fire truck behind that one, then clipped the one you see in the video," explained Denton Police Chief Frank Dixon. "Had the brush truck not left when it did, it would’ve hit that one full-on."

The truck driver was seriously injured and is possibly facing charges. 

No emergency personnel were injured. 

It happened Aug. 2 on southbound I-35 in Denton less than 30 days after two similar incidents involving drivers slamming into Denton service vehicles.

"Typically, we’ll have one or two cars hit through the span of a year on the highway," the chief said. "But having these three different incidents so close together, it really drew our attention to it."

 On July 30 at an accident scene on surface streets, an alleged drunken driver slammed into a Denton police vehicle and a UNT police vehicle. Police say no one was hurt.

On July 18, officers were at another accident scene when a driver ran into an unoccupied Denton police cruiser.  No one was hurt, but the vehicle was totaled.

"We’ve got to speak up," Dixon said. "We’ve got to make sure the community understands how truly dangerous it is."

Police and fire officials say the problem is an urgent one. They have a message for everyone behind the wheel, especially considering how much worse the recent crash could’ve been.

"The message is take your time, pack your patience and just slow down," the chief said. "Move over so everybody can go home."