3:00PM EST  Reports From NY1: Hospital officials say a person has died and two others were critically injured in an accident in Dongan Hills, Staten Island between a fire truck and a van that was carrying special needs people.

A New York City Fire Department truck belonged to Ladder 81 crashed into the van shortly before 12:30 p.m. today at the intersection of Richmond Road and Burgher Avenue.

The van is from an agency called Lifestyles for the Disabled that works with developmentally disabled people. Sources on the scene say nine people between the ages of 20 to 50 were in the van.

Six people from the van were taken to Staten Island University Hospital’s north site, where one of them was pronounced dead, according to a SIUH official.

Two of the injured are in critical condition and the other three are under observation, according to SIUH.

Authorities say one person was ejected from the van, and that the jaws of life were used on at least one victim.

Fire and police officials have not yet confirmed the death, but said that three people in the van were critically injured and that the other six people in the van were in stable condition.

The fire was responding to a car fire on Lillypond Avenue at the time. The firefighters believed a person was trapped, but the accident turned out to be minor.

The six firefighters in the truck suffered minor injuries but were able to get out and help the people in the van, according to authorities. The firefighters were then taken to Richmond University Medical Center.

2:15PM EST FROM SILIVE.COM: Three people were critically injured today when a fire truck responding to a vehicle fire collided with a van transporting disabled adults in Dongan Hills, FDNY and NYPD officials announced during a joint press conference at the scene of the crash.

The truck, from Ladder 81, had its lights and sirens on as it traveled down Richmond Road en route to a reported car fire near the Staten Island Expressway, when the van — carrying a driver and eight passengers — made a left turn onto Richmond from Burgher Avenue.

The fire truck slammed into the rear driver side door.

The three victims critically injured were all riding in the van, officials said.

Six other passengers from the van were hospitalized with minor injuries. Several firefighters were hurt as well.

According to witness Ali Alsaede, the van made the turn onto Richmond when it had the green light. FDNY officials could not confirm that account.

“One of them has got to stop,” said Alsaede. “Boom! None of them stopped.”

Firefighters from the truck jumped out of the vehicle to aid the passengers of the van, Fire officials said. A Hurst tool was required to free them from the heavily-damaged vehicle.

(Source: SI Live)