On November, 14, 1999, 46-year-old Bert Andrew Bruecher responded to a mutual-aid call from a neighboring department. They were battling fires in approximately 200 hay bales and requested an additional supply of water. Upon receiving the call for assistance, Bert responded in the department’s tanker (tender). The tanker rounded a curve near the center line and drove off the right shoulder of the northbound lane In an attempt to steer the tanker back onto the road surface, Bert oversteered and lost control of the vehicle. The tanker crossed over the center line and reached the shoulder of the southbound lane, causing the truck to flip and roll.

Bert was extricated from the truck and transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.