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FF John
Lewkowicz
(Served
OFD from October 1967 to February 1969)
On February 10, 1969, OFD responded to a
reported house fire on Conley Street. A
bizarre accident at the intersection of
Parramore and South killed this 29-year old
fireman and injured seven people. Engine 22
was hit broad-side by a tractor trailer
hauling a front-end loader. The impact sent
Engine 22 into the southwest curb where upon
impact, FF J. Lewkowicz was thrown from the
tailboard onto the sidewalk. FF Lewkowicz
received a severe head injury, resulting in
almost instant death, he was pronounced dead
at Orange Memorial Hospital (now ORMC). The
fire engine was driven by Herman Clark, who
was hospitalized with rib injuries and
listed in good condition. Other injured
firemen who were treated and released were,
Lt. C.F. Hoffner (31) with head
lacerations, FF W.M Anderson (21) with
minor bruises, W Busby (24) and FF J.R.
Fleming (25) with a shoulder injury. The
accident happened so fast that the colliding
trucks hit bystander, Sam "Chuck" Wilson of
McFall Street, who was admitted to Orange
Memorial Hospital with stomach pains. a
second bystander Melvin Rogers of Division
Avenue, managed to jump out of the way. The
contracting truck , carrying an 8,000 pound
end-loader and a 3,000 pound forklift, was
headed west on South Street. Witnesses said
the truck driver apparently did not hear the
sirens as he entered the blind intersection.
(Truck No.15 after the
accident that killed FF John Lewkowicz)
Engine 11 and Rescue 7 arrived on the scene
just after the accident happened. As a
result, Engine 10 and Engine 55 (E-101 and
E-5) were dispatched to the house fire. Upon
arrival they found a pot on the stove.
John Lewkowicz was a former Marine and
Vietnam veteran with a wife and children.
John had started with OFD in October of 1967
and had been an outstanding trainee. On the
day of the accident there was a critique of
a fire at the Carlton Arms. A problem
discussed was the marking of rooms that had
been searched. One solution was to used
chalk to marked an "X" on the doors of rooms
that had been searched .When John's bunker
coat was recovered from the funeral home,
there were two pieces of chalk in his
pocket. John Lewkowicz was the second OFD
firefighter killed in the line of duty.
Read an
excerpt from retired FF Jim Fleming's
recollection of the accident. |
