Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Fred Witarowsky |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 46 to 50 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 8/23/1936 |
| Cause of Death | Vehicle collision |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Responding to/returning from incident |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 8/23/1936 |
| Incident Location | Street/Road |
| Incident Attribute | Traffic accidents |
Incident Summary
On August 23, 1936, Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Fred Witarowsky of Engine 109 died in the line of duty while responding to a rubbish fire at the intersection of 28th Street and Trumbull Avenue. Witarowsky was thrown from his fire engine when it collided with a streetcar at the intersection of 25th Street and Trumbull Avenue. The fire engine approached the intersection from the north on Trumbull Avenue, and the streetcar was traveling west on 25th Street, and the streetcar driver later stated that he never heard the fire engine’s siren. The engine swiped the front of the streetcar, then swerved onto the curb and struck the brick wall of a store. Witarowsky, a twenty year veteran of the department, died immediately, and three firefighters suffered serious injuries.
Citations:
“Fireman Killed, 2 Hurt as Truck Hits Street Car,” Chicago Daily Tribune, August 24, 1936.
Firefighter and Incident Images
