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Personal injury attorney Brian Loncar hurt in crash

12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, May 17, 2008
By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News 
teiserer@dallasnews.com / The Dallas Morning News 
Kimberly Durnan contributed to this report. 

One of the state's most prominent personal injury attorneys was in
critical condition Friday after being hurt when a fire engine struck
his Bentley in Oak Lawn.

Brian Loncar, whose Loncar Associates has offices across Texas, was
injured shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Lemmon
Avenue and Lomo Alto Drive. 

Police say a fire truck with lights and sirens blaring passed through
a red light at the intersection and slammed into the driver's side of
Mr. Loncar's 2008 Bentley. 

The force of the accident pushed his car through the intersection,
spinning off the road and into a third vehicle carrying a woman and
three children. 

Firefighters and those in the third vehicle suffered minor injuries,
but no one was transported to the hospital, police said. 

Mr. Loncar, 47, was transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Hospital officials declined to discuss the nature or extent of his
injuries and would not confirm whether he was at the hospital. Police
said he was reported to be in critical condition.

A woman answering Mr. Loncar's business phone said she didn't know
enough about his condition to comment.

Mr. Loncar's face is a familiar one around Texas, where he can often
be seen saying in television ads, "When you're hurt in a car wreck,
you need someone on your side." His commercials and his Web site
advise people to call in the "Strong Arm" when a person has been
injured "due to the negligence or misconduct of another person." 

Dallas police Lt. Scott Bratcher said the accident remains under
investigation. But he said it probably will be ruled Mr. Loncar's
fault because he "failed to yield right of way to an emergency
vehicle." 

Dallas Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Sherrie Lopez said the fire engine
contained 500 gallons of water and sustained damage to the right side.
Ms. Lopez did not have an estimate of the damage but said the truck
would have to be returned to the manufacturer for repair.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-loncar_17met.ART.South.Edition1.463ebef.html