POLICE and fire chiefs are investigating why a fire engine crashed into the side of a van at a busy York junction.

The engine was on an emergency call to a house in Tang Hall when the accident happened yesterday lunchtime, at the Walmgate Bar traffic lights, as reported in later editions of the Evening Press.

It struck the Iveco van, which was travelling from Walmgate towards Lawrence Street, rolling it on to its side.

Police said the van driver was shaken, but uninjured, as was a dog which was also in the vehicle.

Traffic Constable Glenn Wilkinson said at the scene: "The fire engine was on an emergency call with blue lights and siren operating." He said it was traveling at a very low speed, "crawling through the lights".

Traffic Constable Ian Atkinson said police would be investigating the accident, with the fire service conducting a separate internal investigation.

He said as far as he was aware, the van had set off into the junction on green traffic lights.

He said emergency vehicles were entitled to go through red lights while on their way to an emergency, but had to do so very carefully.

Eyewitness Andrew Taylor, of Acomb, said the fire engine struck the van at a "blind spot" in the road, where vehicles emerging from Walmgate could not see what was coming along from the direction of the Barbican.

"There was a very loud bang when it hit the van," he said.

"It all happened very quickly."

Another eyewitness, Richard Garrety, said: "The fire engine came straight into the side of the van. He was going a fair speed, but not excessive.

"The fire engine must have thought it was clear and he has just hit into him.

"The firefighters ran out of the engine and were straight on the job. The man climbed out himself, and did not seem to be too badly hurt.

"It was just one of those things - he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The crash mirrored a similar accident in 2002, when a Renault Megane turning right out of Walmgate towards the Barbican on green lights collided with a fire engine heading for Huntington.

The car driver, Lin Everett, escaped with a grazed nose from her airbag and bruising to her right leg and arm, and no firefighters were hurt.

Updated: 08:47 Saturday, April 01, 2006