Fire captain, Vancouver man injured in Five Corners collision

A captain with the Vancouver Fire Department was one of two men injured in a crash Wednesday morning south of the Five Corners area.

Jay Getsfrid was driving a Vancouver Fire Department Chevrolet Blazer west on Northeast 63rd Street, heading to Station 5, when a 1990 red Ford Probe driven by Shane E. Quarles ran a stop sign at Northeast 94th Avenue and crashed into the Blazer, forcing the vehicle onto its side, Clark County Sheriff’s Sgt. Fred Neiman said.

Getsfrid was able to crawl out of the vehicle and call for help, said Fire Chief Joe Molina. The crash was reported just before 10 a.m. Responding engines passed Molina, who was heading to a funeral service for fallen Fire District 6 firefighter Robert W. Hamel. Molina could see the crash in the distance, but at the time he didn’t know the collision involved one of his crew members.

Vancouver firefighters treated Getsfrid before he and Quarles were transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Molina said. Both were treated and released. Getsfrid is at home, recuperating from cuts and contusions, and should be back to work in about a week.

“I’m just glad Jay was all right,” Molina said.

The Blazer was totaled, which means the department has one less vehicle in its fleet to use for administrative, non-emergency duties. The Blazer was an older model and would probably have been replaced next year, Molina said. Officials will make an assessment and will likely replace the Blazer with a hybrid vehicle, possibly a sedan.

Quarles was cited for failing to obey a stop sign and for causing the collision, Neiman said.