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LAFAYETTE — Walker County will have to replace a fire truck that was underinsured and suffered severe damage when it fell over and caught fire during a test run by a mechanic.

The 71,000-pound truckÐÔÊӽ紫ý ladder apparatus was also damaged in the June 24 accident on Old Lafayette Road, just south of Glass Mill Road, when, according to the accident report, the truckÐÔÊӽ紫ý brakes failed and the driver lost control after crossing some railroad tracks.

According to county Chairwoman Angie Teems, the truck carried only liability insurance. Teems said the previous administration had chosen to carry only liability insurance on all its vehicles that were more than five years old. This applied to fire trucks, too, including the wrecked one that was 12 years old.

In an interview with a Chattanooga TV news station, former Walker County chair Shannon Whitfield said that if the current administration had handled the savings from the reduced insurance correctly, it would have been able to afford a new truck.

Teems said the savings on the truckÐÔÊӽ紫ý insurance was $11,220 over the course of 12 years, or $935 a year. A new truck will cost the county $1.47 million.

Fire Chief Blake Hodge told commissioners on July 10 that he found a ladder truck in stock that could be delivered sometime in September. He said it was a rare find and will save the county in time and money over the usual option of a custom truck that can take two years or more to get, not to mention cost thousands more dollars.

Hodge said a typical lifespan for the ladder truck that was wrecked is 20 years.

The total insurance cost for the countyÐÔÊӽ紫ý fleet of 345 vehicles and related equipment (such as trailers) is $452,618, up $12,000 from before the time of the accident.

Teems said each county department is currently evaluating the insurance needs of its vehicles.