Does Chimney Die in 9-1-1? He’s Seriously Injured After Being Impaled In a Bridge Collapse

We’re still not over the Season 6 finale of 9-1-1. A horrible accident risked the lives of the entire Station 118 crew, including Chimney, who finally got engaged to Maddie after a heartwarming proposal last episode. So, does Chimney die on 9-1-1? (Warning: Spoilers, ahead.)

9-1-1 is FOX’s popular TV series that follows firefighters, paramedics and other emergency personnel at the Los Angeles Fire Department’s fictional Station 118 in Los Angeles, California. FOX decided not to renew 9-1-1, which is its highest-rated scripted series, for a seventh season. Instead, the show was picked up by ABC and will move over to Disney network’s lineup for Season 7, our sister site Deadline reported on May 1, 2023.

Actor Kenneth Choi plays Howard “Chimney” Han, the firefighter paramedic assigned to Station 118. He’s portrayed Chimney since the first season premiered in January 2018. His character goes by the “Chimney,” and Choi recently talked about the meaning behind the unique nickname. “They’ve [the 9-1-1 creators] never told me for sure but there was an iteration of this character before I came on board, and originally Chimney was conceived as a Latino man and there is a specific reason for why he was called Chimney. I was told that reason because they told me, ‘We want Chim to be the comedic character,’” he told Hello! Magazine in April 2023. “I’ve taken that on and, without divulging what it is, some of my behaviors and actions as Chimney could tell somebody who’s watching very closely, ‘Oh, this is why he was called Chimney.’”

His character is engaged to Maggie Buckley (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a 9-1-1 dispatcher and the older sister of firefighter Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark). The couple has one child together, Jee-Yun (Hewitt was actually pregnant in real life while filming). In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in April 2023, Choi opened up about Chimney and Maggie’s romance, which has had its many ups and downs since they got together in Season 2. “I owe everything to her because it’s given me so much to do as an actor,” Choi says of his costar Hewitt. “They’ve gone through so many trials and tribulations throughout their relationship, and to play all of those kinds of conflicts, for an actor, it’s such a joy.”

Maddie proposed to Chimney in Season 6, Episode 17, “Love Is in the Air.” “Howard Han, from the moment that we met, I knew that I had found someone who would always be there for me. I knew it. I couldn’t believe it. And there are so many people who would never survive what I’ve been through because they’re alone, but I had you. You’re my lifeline,” Maddie said to Chimney. “And it is really funny you losing this ring and me finding it. It turned out to be a total blessing because it just reminded us why we’re so perfect together, and it brought us right back to where we’re supposed to be.”

In the Season 6 finale, just as the couple was getting used to being engaged, tragedy struck 118 – and Chimney’s life was on the line, along with the rest of the team. Does Chimney die on 9-1-1? Here’s what happened.

What happened to Chimney on 9-1-1?

What happened to Chimney on 9-1-1? Choi and the rest of Station 118 found themselves in real danger in the 9-1-1 Season 6 finale, “Pay It Forward.” In the episode, 118 responds to a devastating crash that involved a mother and daughter and multiple vehicles that piled onto each other. While the crew was working to get victims out of their vehicles, a sleep-deprived truck driver crashed into a pillar under the bridge – and the entire 118 flee went down with it, including Chimney, Buck and Bobby (Peter Krause).

Lucy (Arielle Kebbel) told Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Chimney’s finance, about the collapse and that 118 was down. She tried to stay calm and requested additional units to the scene, including Athena (Angela Bassett), who is married to Bobby. We finally saw the status of the crew and they were not doing well, especially Chimney. He’s impaled by a piece of the gurney in his abdomen, but he’s still responsive. He was able to remove the object that was impaling him, but his abdomen started bleeding. Jo helped him get trauma dressing and supplies so he can bandage the wound. Although, it’s pretty evident that Chimney was in bad shape as he held onto the ambulance for dear life. Buck rushed to his aid and helped Chimney get down to safety, and he got taken away in a gurney to the hospital with his condition unknown. Maddie finally got word that Chimney was alive for now and was relieved.

Does Chimney die on 9-1-1?

Does Chimney die on 9-1-1? No, Chimney doesn’t die in the Season 6 finale of 9-1-1. After the accident, Chimney was rushed to the hospital for his injuries. He remained in the hospital with Bobby because their conditions were the most serious, while the rest of Station 118 were released.

Eventually, it’s revealed that miraculously, no one died in the collapse and everyone was okay, including Chimney. At the end of the episode, Chimney returned to the firehouse and found the rest of the crew on the roof who gathered for meditation, which was needed after the trauma they all experienced. As of now, Chimney is slated to come back for Season 7 of 9-1-1, which will transition from FOX to ABC, where we hopefully see him marry Maddie.

9-1-1 airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

For more on 9-1-1, check out the gallery below to see the 9-1-1 cast salaries per episode, from Angela Bassett to Oliver Stark!