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Ernestine Garcia

Firefighter

On February 2, Firefighter Erestine Garcia of the Willard Fire Department died when she was thrown from a fire engine in a rollover accident while responding to a brush fire. The vehicle apparently hit a soft shoulder on the side of the road, crossed the road and rolled over. The driver, a 17 year old junior firefighter, was hospitalized for multiple injuries. He was permitted to drive to fires but prohibited from operating on the firegound until he turns 18. The weather was clear and there was no oncoing traffic at the time of the crash.
photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Ernestine Garcia was honored on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland and was included in the USFA’s annual report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.

Department information

Willard Fire Department
P.O. Box 204
Willard, New Mexico 87063

Age: 56
Rank: Firefighter
Classification: Volunteer
Incident date: February 2, 1995
Date of death: February 2, 1995
Cause of fatal injury: Struck By
Nature of fatal injury: Trauma
Activity type: Riding Vehicle/Apparatus
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: Responding
Fixed property use: N/A

Last updated: June 13, 2012