Fuel spill led to fireman's death

John Noble had been in the fire service for more than 20 years

Diesel oil which had spilled onto the road from a white van caused the crash which killed a Clackmannanshire fire fighter, a judge has ruled.

John Noble, 46, from Alloa, died when a fire engine left the road and hit trees while going round a bend on the A91 .

The crew had been heading to a primary school on 23 January 2008.

Following a fatal accident inquiry, Sheriff David Mackie ruled diesel coming from a van travelling ahead of the crew had made the road slippery.

Mr Noble, a father-of-two who had been in the fire service for more than 20 years, had been working at Alloa fire station when they were called to Strathdevon Primary School in Dollar.

The fire crew suspected it was a false alarm, but were treating the incident as an emergency until the details had been confirmed.

The fatal accident inquiry later heard that the smoke alarm had been set off by burning toast.

As the fire engine, which had been travelling at about 40mph during the journey, rounded a bend on the A91, near Tillicoultry, it left the road and ploughed into trees.

Mr Noble suffered injuries to his brain, legs, torso, face, pelvis, ribs and lungs and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire engine came off the road and crashed into trees

He had been wearing a seatbelt but that had snapped in the crash.

Accident investigators discovered oily deposits on the road.

They estimated that the spillage had occurred immediately before the fire engine passed over and had most likely come from a white Renault van, which the driver of the fire engine had spotted ahead of them.

Sheriff Mackie ruled that no reasonable precautions could have been taken to prevent the accident and death.

In his written judgement he stated: "The white Renault van from which it can be inferred the oily deposits emanated remains untraced despite extensive enquiries by the police in and around the local community including farms.

"I close by expressing my condolences to Mrs Noble and the family for their sad loss and to the late Mr Noble's fellow firefighters who have lost a fine colleague and friend.

"This inquiry will have been a difficult experience for them, Mrs Noble in particular, but it is to be hoped that it will help to bring some closure to this tragic event."