"MET BY ACCIDENT!"

Things That Go Bump in the Night... and During the Day Too...

Manhattan, NY - October 5, 1955
West End Avenue & 75th Street
While responding to an alarm for an apartment fire, Engine 40 was involved in a collision with
a painter's panel truck. The engine then struck two parked cars, sending one flying onto the si-
dewalk, mounted the sidewalk, and ran into the wall of an apartment building. All three of the
men riding the back step were thrown to the pavement. One of the men, Firefighter George C.
Zapf, 29, sustained a severe skull fracture, and died at the hospital several hours later as a res-
ult. The lieutenant suffered a cerebral concussion and was admitted to the hospital, while the
remaining three men were treated for cuts and bruises, and released. The driver of the panel tr-
uck also died of a skull fracture early the next morning. An investigation revealed that the driv-
er of the panel truck failed to yield to the fire apparatus, resulting in the tragic crash.
Hank Przybylowicz Collection