Editor’s note: There’s an update to this story.
Maricopa City Council is looking to approve a $2.46 million purchase of a brand spankin’ new fire truck.
It sounds like a pretty run-of-the-mill investment for a growing city. After all, Maricopa Fire and Medical’s budget for the fiscal year is $15.8 million. But it turns out the ladder truck they are replacing was totaled.
By a drunk driver.
Not many details exist in the minutes from a special off-day council meeting held Dec. 8, but there is enough to form a vague picture of what happened between here and Chandler last fall.
“City Manager Ben Bitter discussed the potential for requesting funding for a ladder truck that was totaled when hit by a drunk driver, noting that replacement ladder trucks currently have a three-to-five-year production timeline and cost approximately $2.5 to 3 million,” the minutes read.
A quote offered by Fire Truck Solutions, a fire apparatus dealer in Southwestern states, said the company could deliver a new E-One Typhoon Custom Cab Chassis HP100 100-foot Platform Demo in September for $2,461,592, tax included.
That still leaves a lot of questions. Where exactly did the collision happen? Were any firefighters injured? What kind of vehicle can total a fire truck?
With any luck, council members might opt to discuss the purchase. In the meantime, a Maricopa Fire spokesperson told us the fire truck driver was not at fault in the crash. InMaricopa will contact Maricopa Fire with questions and publish a follow-up story once more information is gathered.
![Members of Maricopa Little League girls 12U All-Star softball team celebrate their District 4 win on June 16, 2026. [Maricopa Little League]](https://inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/20260617-maricopa-little-league-1-300x225.jpg)
7 Responses
Maybe the drunk driver was attracted to the firetruck because it was red, just like a bull would with a red cape.
Acutally bulls are color blind its the movement not the color look it up
Ahhhhh, gotcha.
Excellent investigative reporting. I, for one, am really curious to hear the answers to your questions. I don’t remember any news articles about an accident involving a fire truck, which certainly would be newsworthy. Maybe you should use FOI requests to investigate.
It sounds like a sound investment, specially when you see firemen driving and parking the 2.4 million dollar truck to go buy a steak burrito at the local mexican joint.
This should be an insurance payout for replacement. Definitely not a 2.4 million budget hit.
Heading towards two months since the original story with follow up promised?????