Bronx, NY (August 18, 2026) — Nineteen people, including five firefighters, were taken to the hospital on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, after a bus and a fire truck came together at the intersection of Southern Boulevard and Barretto Street in the Bronx, according to fire officials. It happened around 12:32 p.m.
Surveillance video showed the bus traveling along Southern Boulevard when the fire truck entered the intersection from Barretto Street. It was not immediately clear which vehicle had the right of way.
A witness said the fire truck entered the intersection at a high rate of speed without its lights or siren activated, though this has not been officially confirmed. Everyone taken to the hospital was reported to have minor injuries.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said her thoughts were with the injured passengers and crew members receiving care.
The wreck remained under investigation as this report was filed. We hope everyone involved recovers fully.
Why Emergency Vehicles Need Lights and Sirens to Claim the Right of Way
Emergency vehicles generally have the legal right to proceed through a red light or stop sign only when their lights and sirens are active. Without those signals engaged, an emergency vehicle is typically expected to follow the same traffic laws as everyone else, stopping at red lights and yielding just like any other driver on the road.
This requirement exists because lights and sirens are the only real warning other drivers receive. A driver approaching an intersection has no way of knowing a fire truck or ambulance needs to pass through against the signal unless there’s some visible or audible cue alerting them in advance, giving them time to slow down or pull over safely.
Drivers are generally expected to yield immediately upon seeing or hearing an emergency vehicle with its lights and sirens active, and to pull to the right and stop if it’s safe to do so. At the same time, no vehicle, regardless of its markings, should be assumed to have the right of way through an intersection without those signals clearly in use.
