Firefighter in coma after truck crash on freeway in Irvine; GoFundMe started

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family of a firefighter who was critically injured in a truck crash in Orange County last week.

Matthew Nichols is in a coma fighting for his life after Thursday's rollover crash on the 241 Freeway in Irvine.

At the time, eight firefighters were returning from a 12-hour shift on the front lines of the massive Airport Fire.

Eight firefighters were rushed to nearby hospitals after an Orange County truck for wildfire crews crashed in Irvine.

A vehicle ahead of the fire truck swerved to avoid a ladder and the truck swerved too, striking the guardrail on the right shoulder and overturning multiple times, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Eight firefighters were injured in the incident, six of them critically.

Nichols and his wife have a 6-month-old son named Theodore. The GoFundMe will help cover child care costs during his recovery.