A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a fire engine responding to a 999 call.
The man who died has been named as Mitchell Bailey.
The 58-year-old, from Royston, Herts, lived with his wife Carol, 51, around 100 metres from where he died.
Witnesses reported seeing the engine “turned over” near a roundabout in Royston, Herts at around 8.45pm.
Another pedestrian was also injured in the accident, which happened at 8.45pm on a roundabout in Royston, Herts.
They were taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge with minor injuries.
Hertfordshire police are investigating the crash but say the circumstances surrounding it were “still unclear”.
They did confirm that the pedestrian was killed as the fire engine was responding to an emergency call while negotiating a roundabout.
The fire engine was seen lying on its side in the road which was closed for several hours. It has since reopened.
Nearby resident Andrew Fowler, from Barrington, Cambs, said: “There’s a fire engine turned over. And that’s on the second roundabout.
“It’s a whole mass of blue flashing lights, including ambulance services and another fire engine.
“Apparently it’s on the far roundabout from the Tesco’s as you come off the 505 at the first roundabout. That is one hell of a piece of equipment to go over.”
Alec Hill, a resident in Royston, Herts lives a couple of hundred yards away from the crash.
She said : “My daughter and I witnessed the scene. We walked by from Tesco and saw the incident and the controls.
“We were sent away from the police. I asked if it was because of injuries, and he said yes.
“It’s pretty obvious that if a fire engine goes off on its side then someone’s injured.
“There must have been around 10 to 15 emergency vehicles. We got that far on our walk and were then sent away.”
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) received a call tonight at 8.44pm to reports of an RTC in Royston.
“We dispatched our hazardous area response team (HART), an ambulance officer, ambulance crew, and air ambulance from the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) charity.
“Sadly a pedestrian has been pronounced dead at the scene whilst a second patient has been taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with minor injuries.”
A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokeswoman said: “Police in North Herts are currently investigating a road traffic collision which occurred on the roundabout at the junction with York Way and Old North Road in Royston at 8.45pm on Wednesday January 18.
“The circumstances surrounding the collision are still unclear, but it appears a fire engine, which was responding to an emergency call, was in collision with a pedestrian whilst negotiating the roundabout.
“The pedestrian suffered fatal injuries and sadly died at the scene.
“The fire engine is currently still in the road and closures are in place at the roundabout and in Rock Road with the junction of Old North Road and the roundabout by the Tesco Superstore.”
An eyewitness described seeing the horrific moment the 12-tonne fire engine crushed the male victim after rolling on top of him as he walked along the pavement.
The man, who didn’t wish to be named, said the driver broke down in tears at the scene, where he believes the pedestrian died instantly.
He said: “The guy was trapped underneath the fire engine, towards the back of it. I think he was killed straight away. He wouldn’t have a bone in his body that wasn’t broken.
“The vehicle went over him and rolled over him until he was at the back of it.
“It would have been about head height when it hit him because the engine had tipped over.
“When they recovered it there was a hole in the windscreen and that is where the pedestrian struck his head.
“The fire crew thought he was at the front of the vehicle to start with but when the emergency services got there realised he was at the back.
“Within two minutes the driver broken down in tears. He was nursing his shoulder too.”
The man said the victim, was hit by the Scania 6-cylinder diesel fire engine as he walked home from Tesco with his shopping.
He said: “The fire engine came down the hill coming towards the roundabout and made a right turn to go towards the town centre.
“As he turned. the engine tipped up and rolled over. The sirens went off when it happened and it all went quiet.
“There was a moment of silence and then there was an almighty bang, followed by a rumble.
“The bang is where he went on his side and the rumble was when he went into the ditch.
“The guy was hit from behind. He was clearly coming back from Tesco as he was carrying carriers bags.
“I was there in 30 seconds, all of the fire crew were running around like lunatics. They brought sheets out to cover the area where he was.”
The witness said that Mitchell Bailey was trapped under the fire engine until at least 11pm when the vehicle was recovered.
Another witness recalled seeing a lot of sand on the roundabout on the afternoon before the crash.
They said: “I’ve got dashcam footage of a vehicle dropping this trail of sand or gravel along the roundabout.
“I thought at the time it would be dangerous, it was all over the road. The fire engine must have come down the road and its passenger side wheel would have hit it like a sheet of ice.
“It might have caused the crash because he would have turned hard to overcompensate and the wheels would have locked and the vehicle would have turned over.”
Flowers were left at the scene of the collision yesterday (Thu) where wooden barriers had been knocked over during the crash.
Chalkings could also be seen on the road where police had marked the route the vehicle took across the roundabout.
The accident took place on a busy intersection close to a large Tesco superstore in Royston, Herts., which lies next to Roysia School and a large housing estate.
The fire engine was on its way to reports of a house fire in the town when it was left on its side following the collision with the pedestrian.
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service refused to confirm whether any action is being taken against the driver of the fire engine.
Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue, said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the member of the public who sadly died at the scene.
“Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service are working with the Police to establish exactly what happened and why.”
Two firefighters were taken to hospital following the incident for precautionary checks.
The house fire that the appliance was attending was quickly dealt with by another HFRS fire engine and crew.
Anyone with information should call police on 101.