We responded to report of a house filled smoke in another town. We responded with an engine consisting of an Engineer, a Lieutenant and two Firefighters. While enroute one of the Firefighters told the driver to turn at the next drive knowing a quicker route. The driver made the quick right turn to an angled street. This manuver caused the rear wheels to skid. The Engineer was able to recover however the vehicle skidded left to right several times. This so called short cut turned into a dead-end street. We never made it to the address as command returned us. This was a false call, meat on stove. When we returned to the station I had a shift meeting and we went over the call. I had a separate meeting with the Engineer. I advised him to always check the map and never make such a sudden change in direction. A reminder to all drivers. Plan your route and stick to it. If you have to make a change, make sure you know where you are going and always do it in a safe manner.