Indianapolis fire truck destroyed in crash; car's driver accused of OWI

Four Indianapolis firefighters suffered minor injuries after their fire truck was struck head-on by a car driven by a man accused of drunken driving on the east side Sunday night.

The fire truck was on its way to help a person with difficulty breathing when it was struck by an on-coming Chrysler 300 near East 38th Street and Butler Avenue about 11:40 p.m., Indianapolis Fire Department Battalion Chief Rita Reith said.

The fire truck's light and sirens were activated. The driver of the eastbound Chrysler crossed the center lane and collided with the westbound truck, Reith said.

The force of the crash sent the truck rolling for about two blocks hitting a gas station sign, a light pole and concrete barriers, Reith said. 

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Debris was scattered over a length of about two football fields, she said.

Four firefighter were treated for bumps and bruises at IU Health Methodist Hospital, Reith said. All wore seatbelts.

"The firefighters are shaken but extremely grateful to be relatively unscathed," Reith said.

The Chrysler's driver suffered no obvious injury, according to Reith. Medics took him to Eskenazi Hospital for a check up.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested the driver of the Chrysler, David Bender, 39, on an initial charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Bender was held Monday in the Arrestee Processing Center, Marion County Jail records show.

Call IndyStar reporter Vic Ryckaert at 317-444-2701. Follow him on Twitter: @VicRyc.