GRAND RIDGE, FL - City of Grand Ridge Mayor and volunteer firefighter Chris Wright may have cost the city up to $1,000, after he struck a pine tree Jan. 7 while driving the town's newest fire truck on a non-dispatched call, according to the Jackson County Floridian.
According to the Florida High Patrol report of the accident, Wright was attempting to turn around in a private driveway off Sand Basin Road when one of the fire truck's rear tires slid off a plastic culvert and into a ditch, said the Floridian.
The vehicle then began to lean to the left and struck a pine tree, causing an estimated $2,000 worth of damage to the left side of the vehicle. The vehicle is insured by the city, but there is a $1,000 deductible. If the repairs total more than $1,000, the City of Grand Ridge will need to pay the difference.
Wright was reportedly just warming up the fire truck, which is not authorized to leave the station unless dispatched by Jackson County, according to the Floridian.
