GREENSBORO, N.C. — Three firefighters were taken to the hospital after a fire truck overturned in Guilford County, according to Highway Patrol.

At about 6:14 p.m. Tuesday, troopers responded to a crash on Interstate 73, near I-85 Business, in Guilford County.

Troopers say a firefighter was driving east on I-73 in a 2018 Pierce fire truck from Pinecroft Sedgefield Fire District.

When the driver tried to merge from the I-85 Business off-ramp onto I-73, a vehicle in front of the fire truck slowed down quickly. The fire truck then swerved to avoid hitting the vehicle and overturned several times before driving off the road to the left.

The driver and two other firefighters were all taken to the hospital.

Chief Steve Allred said Wednesday that the crew suffered bad bruising, and one firefighter broke a bone. He said they have since left the hospital and are recovering at home.

“Not only physically but mentally, you know that takes a toll on them,” he said.

Allred said his crew was responding to an emergency call, and he hopes drivers will be more cautious in the future.

“We’re not going out there just to drive fast on the highway, we’re going to help someone else in need, and these guys didn’t make it to that,” he said.

Allred said based on the damage, the department could be down one engine through the end of the year. He said that would not impact their response time.

“We’ve had people as far as Wake County reach out to offer us a fire truck, there’s several reserve trucks around the county, so we’ll make it happen,” he said.

No one has been charged.