Motorcyclist in Critical Condition After Crash With Fire Truck

A 53-year-old motorcyclist is in critical but stable condition after colliding with a fire truck that was responding to a medical emergency in New Haven, according to police at the scene.

Casper Amodio Jr., of West Haven, was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment of serious injuries, police said. He was not wearing a helmet and is undergoing a CT scan.

Police said Amodio was driving northbound on James Street when he collided with a fire truck that had activated lights and sirens and was turning left onto Woolsey Street.

"There's quite a bit of skid mark that's been left here," said New Haven police spokesman Officer David Hartman. "Interviews with the firefighters indicated that they didn't even see the motorcycle coming."

Witnesses said the scene was gruesome.

Danielle Cornelius, who watched the crash happened from her upstairs window, said she saw the motorcycle disappear under the fire truck. The driver went airborne and struck the engine's windshield, she said.

"It was really, really bad," said Armani Meadows, who lives nearby. "I've never seen [anything like it] and I've worked in the medical field for 14 years."

The four firefighters onboard the truck were not injured. According to police, the fire truck stayed at the scene and the firefighters provided medical treatment to Amodio while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

Witnesses told police Amodio was driving fast at the time of the collision. An accident reconstruction team is investigating to determine the cause of the crash.

Police said the firefighters have been offered counseling through the city's employee assistance program.

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