Woodland’s rural fire chief escaped injury, but one woman was taken to St. John Medical Center Friday afternoon after a minivan broadsided his emergency vehicle at Tennant Way and 11th Avenue in Longview.

A Chevrolet SUV driven into the intersection by Eric Dehning, chief of Cowlitz Fire District 1 in Woodland, was T-boned by a white Dodge westbound on Tennant Way just before 2 p.m., according to Vic Leatzow, chief of Cowlitz Fire District 5 in Kalama.

Leatzow was following Dehning southbound on 11th Avenue intending to make left turns to Tennant Way eastbound. They were responding to an emergency call involving a woman giving birth in Woodland, according to Cowlitz Couinty

Leatzow said both he and Dehning had a green light, and their sirens and emergency lights were activated. It appears, he said, that the van ran a red light.

Police at the scene were not immediately able to comment.

The van was occupied by three adults and two children. The van’s front passenger, a woman whose name was not released, was taken to St. John Medical Center. Neither Leatzow nor Dehning was injured. The side air bag on Dehning’s vehicle had been inflated.

Several of the van’s other occupants were being examined in the back of an ambulance at the scene. Traffic through the intersection was partially blocked, forcing drivers to weave around the damaged vehicles, debris and emergency vehicles.

Leatzow said he and Dehning were in Longview for a meeting about telecommunications equipment.

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