Man Speaks Out About Monterey Park Fire Truck Accident That Nearly Claimed His Life
MONTEREY PARK (CBSLA.com) — A 52-year-old father said his life was forever changed last month after a fire truck plowed through a Monterey Park restaurant and left him with critical injuries.
Kenneth Thai was waiting at the crosswalk at the intersection of Garfield and Emerson avenues on April 16 when he heard sirens from two different directions.
"I heard one from north, one from south, two fire trucks," he said.
Thai said he was then hit and pushed into Lu Dumpling House by a Monterey Park fire engine after it crashed into an Alhambra fire truck.
Fifteen people, including six firefighters, were hurt.
Thai was pinned underneath the engine. He was the most seriously injured.
"When I woke up, I was at USC hospital already," he said. "Somebody told me your leg is gone."
KCAL9's Rachel Kim reports that Thai lost most of his right left and has undergone countless surgeries for facial reconstruction. He also has injuries to his shoulder, arm and wrists.
"I cannot do nothing. It's very painful," he said.
As the CHP investigates the cause of the accident, Thai's attorney, Edward Lee, has filed negligence claims against the cities of Alhambra and Monterey Park.
"It's our understanding that the sirens were activated, lights were activated, they should have seen each other in time to avoid an accident," Lee said.
Lee said his goal is to get Thai the medical care costs he needs and the maximum compensation for pain and suffering.
"We respect firefighters, we respect the fire department and what they do for us, we would like to just hold the departments accountable," he said.
Monterey Park city officials are processing the claims.
If the claims can't be resolved, Lee will pursue a lawsuit.
Thai just hopes to get back to the life he once knew.
"In the future, I have no idea," he said.
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