Suit Filed in South Carolina Stolen Fire Truck Case

The case of the stolen fire truck in Port Royal, South Carolina has resulted in a lawsuit – but the good news is the fire department was not named.

Jonas Armstrong was seriously injured when a Port Royal fire truck driven by Kalvin Hunt collided with his vehicle on February 22, 2012. At the time Hunt was naked and had stolen the truck from the scene of an incident where it was parked idling.

Hunt, a former Marine with psychological issues, had escaped from a US Navy Hospital. The suit alleges that Case Pro Inc.; the U.S. Naval Hospital in Beaufort, S.C.; the United States, and the South Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs were negligent in allowing Hunt to escape.

The 23 page suit was filed last Tuesday in US District Court in South Carolina.

Here is a copy of the complaint. Armstrong Complaint

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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