Original Article Firetruck rams car, killing man Josh Kelley The Arizona Republic Oct. 23, 2005 12:00 AM A 25-year-old Phoenix man has died from injuries he received after his car collided with a Phoenix fire engine Friday night. The engine was traveling south on 67th Avenue about 6 p.m. with lights flashing and sirens blaring when it crossed the center line into northbound lanes to go around traffic congestion, police said Saturday. Two other Phoenix Fire Department vehicles in front of the engine already had passed through the area. But as the engine approached Earll Drive, Samuel Marrufo-Gonzales attempted to make a left turn after waiting in southbound traffic on 67th Avenue, said Sgt. Andy Hill, a Phoenix police spokesman. Cousins of Marrufo-Gonzales witnessed the collision and told police that as he turned left, the engine struck the Nissan Sentra he was driving, Hill said. The Sentra then collided with a Ford F-150 pickup in the curb lane of northbound traffic. Marrufo-Gonzales died after being taken to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. Hill said the cousins of Marrufo-Gonzales apparently lived close to where the collision occurred north of Thomas Road in west Phoenix. "They were right there and actually witnessed what happened, and their story was consistent with what investigators found at the scene," Hill said. Four firefighters in the engine, including driver Tom Arnold, suffered minor injuries. Bruce Kellog, the driver of the Ford pickup, was not injured. The firefighters were responding to a reported structure fire, said Assistant Fire Chief Bob Khan. State law allows emergency responders to ignore traffic laws where prudent and when proper warning is given to other vehicles, Hill said. "The emergency responder is responsible for making that judgment call, and that's a tough one," Hill said. Alcohol possibly was a factor in the crash because the cousins told investigators that Marrufo-Gonzales had been drinking before the crash, Hill said. But police have not confirmed that alcohol was a factor and now must await toxicology reports. The Police Department's vehicular crimes unit is investigating the crash and has yet to determine how fast the engine was traveling. Khan said Arnold was a veteran engineer with the department. Once Arnold recovers from the crash, fire officials will assess whether he should go on administrative leave, Khan said. The Fire Department will conduct its own review once police finish their investigation. Khan said that Fire Department vehicles travel about 1 million miles per year and responded to 137,011 calls for service last year. It has been at least three years since a Phoenix Fire Department vehicle was involved in a fatal crash, he said.