A firefighter who was struck by a car while investigating a crash Sunday morning lost a leg due to the collision, officials said.
Sgt. Darrow Harden’s left leg had to be amputated and his right leg was severely injured after he was hit, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford.
The initial wreck happened about 7:45 a.m. when a car flipped over at the Cleveland Avenue exit of I-85 North, Stafford said. No significant injuries were reported in that incident, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta Police Department said.
Stafford said Harden, 47, had just stepped off a firetruck to help the driver involved in that crash. Then, the driver of a 2009 Pontiac G5 lost control and hit both the firetruck and the fireman.
More firetrucks were called to handle the original crash, assess the the injuries of the Pontiac’s driver and to tend to Harden.
The incident shut down all northbound lanes of I-85 in southwest Atlanta for about two hours while officials investigated.
Harden was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he underwent surgery and is now recovering, Stafford said. He has been with Atlanta Fire Rescue for seven years.
A GoFundMe page was created to raise money for the costs of Harden's recovery. The $10,000 goal was met within one day.
Channel 2 Action News reported the driver of the Pontiac hydroplaned before hitting Harden. He was taken into custody Sunday, Stafford said.
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