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related article 4.18.02
Number of crashes with ambulances growing in Ohio

Year 2002   

Man slid into path of oncoming ambulance; dies 
Spokane, Washington
12.31.02

Meyer was heading to 49 Degrees North to go skiing. His BMW hit an ice patch and slid out into the path of an oncoming ambulance, carrying a patient with a heart condition. Despite being injured, two paramedics tried to resuscitate Meyer, but he died at the scene. The two EMT were taken to Holy Family Hospital in Spokane, where they were treated and released. The patient was not injured. A State Trooper says the BMW's tires may have factored in to the crash.

"The BMW had kind of a summer tire on it, rather than a good all season or winter tire. That probably didn't help him a whole lot today," said Trooper Brad Hudson of the Washington State Patrol.

Ambulance Crashes En Route to Emergency
BERLIN TWP., Pennsylvania
12.16.02

A paramedic responding to a medical emergency lost control of the vehicle on a patch of snow and struck a utility pole at the intersection of state Route 652 and Buckingham Road, state police said.

Medic Kim C. Gershey, 46, of Waymart, had to be extricated from the vehicle and taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital for moderate injuries. Medic Carl A. Michko, 29, of Honesdale, who was a passenger, suffered minor injuries and was also taken to Wayne Memorial.

The 2000 Chevrolet is owned by Honesdale Volunteer Amulance Corps, and is referred to as Medic 504-1. The Corps assumed control of the paramedic service from Wayne Memorial Hospital last May.

The vehicle, which had to be towed, was heading east on Route 652 when the accident occurred shortly before 1 p.m., police said. Emergency lights had been activated.

Emergency crews from Honesdale, Hawley and Beach Lake assisted at the scene.

Ambulance responding to a call strikes car 
Morristown,  New Jersey
12.27.02

An ambulance responding to a call on Dec 27th struck a late model Audi A4 car on South Street, forcing the car into a parked Ford Explorer. 

The ambulance heavily damaged the rear left side of the Audi on impact as the Audi was attempting to move out of the ambulance's way. 

The Audi's back windshield was smashed out and the rest of the car sustained heavy damage. 

No one was injured in the incident. 

Van Crashes into Ambulance
Toledo, Ohio
12.17.02

Police say alcohol may have caused a serious accident in east Toledo Tuesday night.

Police say the driver van was leaving a bar on Oak Street, near Woodville Road, when he cut off a passing ambulance. The van clipped the front of the ambulance then crashed into a pole.

Witnesses say the van was driving without headlights and he nearly hit several other cars on Oak Street. "He almost hit me. The van was about a foot and a half away from the back of my truck. My heart was pounding. I had to swerve to the outside. And its a good thing cause he would have hit the back of my truck," says witness Eric Anderson.

The driver of the van was rushed to St. Vincent's Medical Center with a serious head injury. Two paramedics in the ambulance suffered cuts and bruises. They were taken to Bay Park in Oregon.

Police say the ambulance was not on an emergency run when the accident happened.

4 hurt after vehicle strikes ambulance
Cincinnati, Ohio
12.19.02

Four people were injured, including two Cincinnati firefighters on an emergency run, when a vehicle driven by a Mount Orab man crossed the center line on Columbia Parkway Thursday and struck an ambulance, police said.

The crash occurred at 2:20 p.m. at 2881 Columbia, between Torrence Parkway and Delta Avenue in the East End. The parkway was closed in both directions until 5:30 p.m..

The two firefighters, James Kettler, 29, and James Nearor, 22, were treated for minor injuries at University Hospital and released.

The ambulance's lights and siren were activated before the crash, police said.

Edward Steinher, 22, of High Street in Mount Orab, Brown County, was traveling west on Columbia Parkway when he lost control and crossed the double yellow center line, striking the eastbound ambulance, according to the Cincinnati Police traffic division.

Mr. Steinher was listed in stable condition Thursday night at University Hospital. His passenger, Joshua Ludlum, 22, of Meadowland Drive, Anderson Township, was in fair condition at University.

Ambulance, Pickup Collide Head-On
 Volusia, Florida
12.02.02

A Volusia County ambulance transporting a 79-year-old patient was hit head-on by a pickup truck Monday morning

The crash happened at Grand Avenue and Plymouth just after 10 a.m. in Volusia County.

The patient was reportedly injured in the crash along with a paramedic and an ambulance driver. They were safely taken by another ambulance to a hospital.

The ambulance was traveling to Florida Hospital in Deland, Fla. The ambulance was totaled. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.

Ambulance damaged in collision
Nevada
12.07.02

A Mason Valley ambulance carrying a woman to Carson-Tahoe Hospital was struck by a car Thursday in the intersection of Saliman Road and Highway 50 East.

No one was injured in the accident, but the black Peugot, driven by a teenager, was heavily damaged after it struck the ambulance.

"Everyone else was stopped and she came flying up in the fast lane," said witness Bonnie Maxwell of Carson City, who was stopped in a southbound lane on Saliman Road. "She didn't even slow down."

Maxwell said all four directions of traffic had stopped for the ambulance, which was westbound with lights and sirens activated.

"She didn't even pay attention to why everyone else was stopped," Maxwell said.

The ambulance was dented on the passenger-side running board.

The woman in the dented Mason Valley ambulance was transferred to a Carson City Fire Department vehicle and taken the remainder of the way to the hospital.

The teen was cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, police said.

Ambulance Carrying Injured Girl Hit By Car
Kansas City, Missouri
11.17.02

A 5-year-old girl was seriously injured Sunday when she became entangled in a swing at her grandparent's home. But paramedics who arrived to help encountered another problem after they left with the girl in an ambulance. On the way to the hospital, the ambulance was involved in a hit-and-run accident. 

The girl's mother, Andrea Sciolaro (pictured, left), didn't learn about the ambulance's crash until she saw it on the evening news, KMBC's Maria Antonia reported. 

Sciolaro told KMBC she was very upset that she hadn't been informed about the accident. Don Pickert, A spokesman with Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust said Sciolaro had been busy with medical staff when a supervisor tried to tell her about what had happened. 


"She was surrounded by doctors and family. The medical situation comes first. The supervisor got called out didn't go back to make contact with her," Pickert said. 

Sciolaro said MAST has now talked to her. The company doesn't believe the mishap had any impact on her daughter's condition. The accident occurred at 2:47 p.m. Sunday afternoon, and Mast told KMBC that a second ambulance had the girl at a hospital by 3 p.m. 

Sciolaro wants to send a message to whomever hit the ambulance and then ran away. 

"To the people who fled the scene and left this beautiful little girl in an ambulance, you may have gotten away, but the good lord above will remember who you are," Sciolaro said. 

Sciolaro's daughter is listed in critical condition at an area hospital. 

Totaled Medic 1
Townsend, Massachusetts
11.16.02

The driver lost control on icy roads on the evening of Nov. 16. Shepherd told the selectmen that at the time the accident occurred, the vehicle had been responding to an emergency call from Lunenburg. The ambulance slid while taking a turn on Warren Road and struck a tree, damaging its frame beyond reasonable repair. The driver, the only person in the vehicle at the time, was not harmed in the crash.

Before last week's accident, Townsend had two ambulances capable of transporting patients and one non-transporting ambulance loaded with specialized equipment that gives the department's 22 members the capability of addressing a wide variety of emergencies.

Pending the purchase of the replacement vehicle, the Ambulance Department is meeting its obligations to area towns by having one of its two remaining vehicles do double duty in responding to emergencies; but that solution places unacceptable "wear and tear" on the ambulance.

Car ran broadside into the ambulance
North Keizer, Oregon 
11.22.02

A Keizer Fire District ambulance was responding last Friday to a report of an apartment fire in South Keizer, but it never made it. Instead, the ambulance and two medics found themselves in a car accident just a block away from the fire station. Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident, and the fire turned out to be incidental smoke in an apartment, probably from cooking. 

Another Keizer fire crew easily ventilated the smoke from the unit at 760 Plymouth Drive N.E. No one needed medical treatment or transport to Salem Hospital. But officials know it could have been worse. 

Bill Alguire, Keizer's emergency services captain, was driving Medic 35, with lights and siren blazing, and turned south from Chemawa Road onto River Road. Firefighter/paramedic Jeff Turner recalled seeing a car swerve towards the 1999 Freightliner and saying, "It's not stopping, it's not stopping." 

According to Keizer police, Betty Kirkham, 69, of Keizer, had also made a left turn at the intersection but her car went wide, striking the curb. Then she over-corrected and her car ran broadside into the ambulance, said Keizer Police Capt. Kent Barker. 

Kirkham was shaken from the accident, emergency workers said, and her car had damages estimated at about $1,000. The ambulance had minor damage on the right side, estimated at less than $1,000. 

Barker said Kirkham wasn't cited in the accident, but an officer gave her a warning about yielding for emergency vehicles, said Barker. 

While Alguire and Turner were sidelined by the accident, a Keizer fire engine negotiated safely through the River-Chemawa intersection and headed south on River as motorists pulled over to the right and slowed to a stop. 

But as the engine approached the River-Dearborn Avenue intersection with lights, siren and horn blaring, a maroon minivan suddenly turned left onto Dearborn against a red light, apparently in an attempt to get out of the fire engine's way. 

That kind of help isn't appreciated, though, as it put the van's occupants in danger, fire officials said. They said drivers who are stopped in a turn lane should just stay put if an emergency vehicle approaches. 

"The best thing you can do is just stop your vehicle and we'll figure it out from there," Alguire said. 

Capt. Tim Hamm noted that motorists can't possibly "know where we're going," so they shouldn't try to anticipate the fire rig's course. 

Jim Trett, public information officer for the district, said the accident should serve as a reminder to motorists about the law. 

"District officials would like to remind drivers that when an emergency vehicle is approaching, motor vehicles must pull to the right side of the road and come to a complete stop until the emergency vehicle passes," said Trett. 

That goes for both fire and police vehicles. 

Sgt. Lance Inman of the Keizer Police Department said failure to yield to an emergency vehicle carries a fine of $191. 

Barker said the violation often is tough to enforce, especially when police on the scene may already be busy responding to an emergency. 

"If we're responding we don't have time to pull somebody over," he said. However, when police aren't needed to respond with fire crews, officers keep an eye out for motorists who don't pull over and stop or who follow too closely. 

Motorists must remain 500 feet back of emergency vehicles. That's one and two-thirds football field lengths. 

Barker said loud stereos and cell phones can both keep drivers from paying attention to approaching emergency vehicles. And, he noted, sometimes police units will respond with lights but no siren to emergencies like bank alarms. 

Inman noted he's seen drivers do a lot of crazy things that impede emergency vehicles in Keizer. 

"Some won't stop at all, others pull to the center of the road," he said. "It's kind of interesting when they accelerate."

Ambulance Crashes, Rolls Over With Patient Inside; Five Injured, Including 2 Paramedics
Chicago,  Illinois
11.08.02

A Chicago Fire Department spokesman reported that a department ambulance rolled over after it was involved in an accident with another vehicle on the south side early Saturday morning. Five people were injured, including two paramedics.
The ambulance was transporting a person suffering with respiratory distress, when it was struck by another vehicle near 71st Street and Stony Island Avenue. According to spokesman Patrick Howe, the accident happened about 1:43 a.m. Saturday.

According to Howe, one paramedic was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the other four victims were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Police Major Accident Investigation Unit Sgt. Norbert Panek said no one was seriously injured in the accident.

Injuries Minor After Car Crashes Into Ambulance
Avondale, Ohio
11.15.02

One person received minor injuries after an ambulance collided with a car near the corner of Oak and Reading roads in Avondale last Friday. Police said the ambulance was responding to a hospital in the area of Oak and Reading and had its lights and sirens on, when it was stuck in the side by a car. 

The car suffered heavy damage and the driver was taken to University Hospital but the person's injuries are not life threatening. The driver's name has not been released at this time. The patient in the ambulance suffered no additional injuries because of the wreck.

Update: Air ambulance crashes
Helicopter suffers 'hard landing' on takeoff; no one hurt
Fort Worth, Texas 
11.08.02

A CareFlite helicopter ambulance crash-landed on takeoff from its landing pad at Harris Methodist Fort Worth hospital Friday morning with three crew members on board.

There were no reported injuries.

The air ambulance was headed to another base from the 10th floor of the hospital's parking garage about 10:35 a.m. when it came back down in a parking area on the same floor, according to Fort Worth police and hospital authorities.

"There was not a patient on board, nor was it on its way to pick up another patient," said Laura Van Hoosier, a hospital spokeswoman.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were dispatched to the crash site.

The pilot apparently lost control of the helicopter, a new Agusta 109 Power, during takeoff. Its main rotor blades clipped off a light standard on the garage, casting the post 10 floors down into the grass next to the street below.

No one in the parking garage or on the ground was injured, said Mike Taylor, director of operations for CareFlite.

Jeff Englert, 34, and Marj Englert, 59, were visiting an ill relative at the hospital when they heard the crash. They were on the hospital's fourth floor and watched the scene from the window.

"The helicopter was making its 'woo woo' sound, but it was louder than usual," Jeff Englert said. "Then the helicopter shook -- it seemed like and when it landed, the propeller clipped the center pole light. The propeller made a sound like when a washing machine blows its belt."

Wind gusts of up to 27 mph were reported Friday morning at Meacham Airport in north Fort Worth, according to the National Weather Service.

The tail rotor broke off in the crash, and two of the main rotors were damaged, authorities said.

Fort Worth Police Chief Ralph Mendoza and CareFlite's Taylor characterized the incident as a "hard landing."

Besides the pilot, a flight nurse and a medic were on board. They did not appear to be injured but were checked by medical personnel at the hospital's emergency room, Van Hoosier said.

Van Hoosier said the hospital was conducting a hazardous material disaster drill when the crash occurred. Hospital employees and city emergency workers, including firefighters, switched gears and jumped into action, she said.

"We went from disaster drill mode to real disaster operations," Van Hoosier said.

Harris Methodist Fort Worth hospital is near downtown Fort Worth at 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. The garage is on the eastern edge of the campus.

In a prepared statement from CareFlite, Taylor said the pilot, who was not identified, has more than 40 years of flight experience. The helicopter was placed in service in August, he said.

The company refused to comment on the cause of the crash or identify the crew members.

The helicopter is owned by North Central Texas Services of Grand Prairie, which does business as CareFlite. The company has a fleet of nine aircraft, most of which were manufactured by Bell, according to FAA records.

The new aircraft that crashed Friday was one of two manufactured by the Italian-based Agusta that the company bought this year.

FAA records show that Agusta aircraft were involved in nine accidents out of more than 27,000 from 1990 to August 2002. Pilot error was blamed for the five accidents in which information on cause was available.

In 1996, a CareFlite helicopter was trying to land on a highway in Springtown for an emergency patient pickup when its main rotors hit a power line. The helicopter landed safely, FAA records show.

Ambulance helicopters gained industry attention in the 1990s after a series of high-profile and deadly crashes.

Accidents peaked in 1998, with nine crashes nationwide that killed 14 people, according to FAA records. Since then, government records have identified four additional accidents, with no casualties. Industry experts, however, have put those numbers much higher.

Of 51 air ambulance accidents in the government's database, the most common type was what the government characterized as "uncontrolled collision with the ground." Hitting wires or power poles was second on the list, records show.

Paramedic hit; 
motorist arrested later 
Cleveland, Ohio
11.06.02

A Cleveland Emergency Medical System paramedic on a medical run became a patient in his own ambulance last night after he was struck in the street by a sport-utility vehicle. Greg Hyde, an EMS employee for 13 years, was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center where he was being evaluated last night for his injuries, which were not life-threatening.

Police stopped a dark green Ford Explorer shortly after the accident at West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue and arrested the woman driving it. 

Hyde and his partner, Laura Horning, had gone to a West 83rd Street address about 7:15 p.m. to aid a patient.. The Fire Department assisted in taking Hyde to MetroHealth, and another EMS crew helped the patient. 

photo layout

Ambulance Involved in Accident 
New York
11.01.02

A BMW and a Colonie EMS ambulance collided Friday morning on Albany Shaker Road. The ambulance had its lights and sirens on, heading to a call. 
Police say the BMW driver, Jennifer Sneed, then went through the intersection, right into the ambulance. 
The crash landed three people in the hospital. The two EMS workers were treated and released from Albany Med. Sneed is recovering with a broken leg and arm. 

Ambulance accident injures emergency crew, patient 
AUSTIN, Minnesota
11.03.02

Two members of the Fredericksburg ambulance crew and an assault victim being transported were injured around 4 a.m. Saturday when the vehicle crashed into a ditch.

Driver Matthew Timmers, 25, reportedly fell asleep at the wheel and drifted off Mower County Road 7, according to the Mower County Sheriff's Department.

Assault victim Glen Tank, 30 of Lawler, and emergency crew members, John Hinkle, 50, and James Cook, 58, received injuries.

The men were transported to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn.

Timmers was treated and released. Tank and Cook were listed in good condition this morning. Hinkle was listed in fair condition this morning.

The crew was transporting Tank from Mercy Medical Hospital in New Hampton to St. Marys in Rochester when the accident occurred.

Ambulance involved in 
three-vehicle accident, 
2nd NJ ambulance crash in as 
many days
New Jersey
10.26.02

VINELAND - Police reported no serious injuries when a city ambulance was involved in a three-vehicle accident at Boulevard and Park Avenue Saturday afternoon. 

The ambulance, driven by Donald Brooks, 32, of Cape May, was transporting a 23-year-old woman to the emergency room at South Jersey Hospital-Newcomb when the accident occurred. 
Brooks and Atyia Arthur, 18, of Laurel Street, the driver of one of the two other cars, were treated in South Jersey Hospital-Newcomb. 

An EMT riding in the back of the ambulance with the patient was unhurt, police said, and the patient did not suffer any injuries from the accident.
 
Arthur told police she was going south on the Boulevard when the ambulance struck her car as it entered the Park Avenue intersection. Arthur's 
car then struck another southbound vehicle driven by Luis Cruz, 59, of Vineland, police said. 

Brooks told police he was maneuvering around stopped cars with lights and siren in operation and was going east on Park Avenue. He said he 
reduced speed before the collision. A witness who pulled to the curb to allow the ambulance to pass said she heard the siren and saw Brooks 
attempt to avoid the accident. 

Sgt. David Cardana said no charges have been filed pending completion of the investigation. 

5 injured in accident involving ambulance
Newport News, Virginia
10.29.02

Five people suffered minor injuries Tuesday afternoon after an ambulance swerved to avoid a collision, flipped onto its side and struck a minivan, 
authorities said.

The accident happened about 2:04 p.m. at 72nd Street and Jefferson Avenue. The ambulance was en route to a six-vehicle crash on the 
southbound side of the James River Bridge.

Police said that a subcompact vehicle, which looked like a white or silver Geo Metro, cut in front of the ambulance, causing the driver to swerve 
and collide with the minivan.

Battalion Chief Scott Liebold said two medics and an intern, who were riding in the ambulance, suffered bruises and contusions and were treated 
at a local hospital. At least two occupants in the minivan were treated for minor injuries, authorities said.

Liebold said four people injured in the James River Bridge crash also were taken to a local hospital.

Crash at Intersection - Fresno, California
10.23.02

A brand new ambulance operated by American Ambulance of Fresno, California was Southbound on Cedar Avenue when the white vehicle, traveling in a Westerly direction, proceeded thru the intersection. The driver felt having a green light gave her the right away in spite of the emergency warning lights and siren that stopped everyone else. 

Ambulance Passenger Dies After Ejection During Crash
Hammonton, New Jersey
10.26.02

Authorities are investigating a head-on collision that killed two people in Hammonton on Friday, including a Tabernacle man who was being transported in an ambulance that flipped on its side.

James O'Malley, 51, of Tabernacle was ejected from the ambulance after it was struck by another vehicle on Route 206 just south of Shamong, Hammonton police said yesterday.

O'Malley was airlifted to Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center in Camden, where he died, police said.

The ambulance was traveling northbound at about 2:05 p.m. when a 2000 Chrysler 300 heading southbound veered into the northbound lane, causing the vehicles to collide, police said.

The driver of the Chrysler, Richard Sayer, 72, of Hammonton died at the scene of the crash after his vehicle came to a rest in a nearby field, police said.

The driver of the ambulance, Eugene Whitaker of Philadelphia, was flown to Cooper with a severe leg injury. He was listed in stable condition yesterday.

Patricia Kelley, a technician in the ambulance, suffered minor injuries, police said.

Hammonton police are investigating the crash along with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, Lt. Nick Salvatore of the Hammonton Police Department said yesterday.

"Whenever we have a fatality and there's a possibility of prosecution, they become the lead agency," Salvatore said of the prosecutor's office.

The ambulance, a 1998 Ford, is owned by Network Ambulance Services of Philadelphia. 
. 

Man crashes car into side of ambulance
Los Angeles, California
10.17.02

An ambulance was called to an accident in north Bakersfield just before noon on Thursday even though an ambulance was already there.

The first ambulance at the scene was involved in the crash at Highway 99 just north of Olive Drive, California Highway Patrol officers said.

A 32-year-old Los Angeles man with psychiatric problems crashed his 2002 Honda Civic into the side of a Mobile Life Support Ambulance of Visalia, Officer Greg Williams said.

The ambulance, which had two emergency care workers but no patients, slid into the center divider railing, while the car spun around ending up in the fast lane, Williams said.

The car had been in the middle lane driving about 75 mph, but moved to the left, striking the ambulance, Williams said.

No one appeared to be seriously hurt, but a passenger in the ambulance, Kim Damico, 30, of Visalia, and the driver of the car, Hui Cao, 32, were taken to Kern Medical Center to be checked out, Williams said.

The driver of the ambulance, Joe Rosa Jr., 24, did not seek treatment, Williams said.

The crash closed the fast lane for an hour and a half, backing up traffic to the south side of Airport Drive, Williams said.

Four Sent to Hospital in MTA Bus and Ambulance Accident - Tennessee
10.17.02

An accident Thursday morning in the Bordeaux community sent four people to the hospital. It happened around 11:00 near the 
Bordeaux Hospital. 
Police say an MTA bus carrying four passengers collided with an ambulance on its way to pick up a patient. No serious injuries were 
reported, and there's no word yet on a possible cause. 

You Call, We Haul
Fresno, California
10.1.02

click to enlarge

A unit from Oakhurst was enroute to University Medical Center in Fresno and as they were traveling South on Cedar Avenue a truck towing a U-Haul trailer was Northbound. The trailer separated from the truck and continued North until it struck the ambulance. No serious injuries, but on the other side of the blue PG&E truck was a work crew in a large trench. Photo J.McMaster

Ambulance strikes tree
Acton, Massachusetts
10/14/02

Five people involved in an ambulance accident on Monday are without major injury, according to Acton Police Lt. Don Palma and an Emerson Hospital spokesperson.

While transporting Nicholas Veleno, 83, from the LifeCare Center in Acton to a dialysis facility in Billerica, EMT Michael Ferrick sideswiped a tree on Pope Road and lost control of the vehicle, said Palma. The ambulance, from Armstrong Ambulance in Arlington, swerved and became lodged in a ditch on the right side of the street.

Neither Ferrick nor EMT Bethany Snow, also in the vehicle, were injured.

Police received a 911 call about the accident at 10:41 Friday morning, and they arrived soon afterwards with fire officers to assist the situation.

The accident briefly stopped traffic in both directions as police and fire officers removed Veleno, his wife Ella, and the two EMT officers from the damaged ambulance.

The assistance process was quick and easy, said Palma. "It went fine...fortunately there was no damage done to the rear doors of the ambulance," he said, so the vehicle's passengers were accessible.

Acton firefighter Robert Hart was also injured when one of the ambulance doors hit him in the head, said Palma. The fire department transported Hart and the Velenos to Emerson for the injuries. According to a hospital spokesperson, the Velenos visited the emergency department, but were not admitted, for minor injuries due to being hit by jostled objects in the ambulance. Hart did not require medical attention.

Palma said that police officers Christopher Prehl and Scott Cooney, neither of whom chose to comment about the incident, are now in charge of an ongoing investigation as to its cause.

Woman dies, two responders hurt as ambulance overturns
Greenville, South Carolina
10.1.02

An 88-year-old Fountain Inn woman died and two ambulance workers were injured on Greenville's Southern Connector Tuesday afternoon in wreck 
authorities suspect was caused when a tread separated from the tire, flipping the ambulance, troopers said. 

Birdie Bell Logan of 712 Hellams St. died, according to Mark Edmonds of the Greenville County Coroner's Office. He said he didn't know what caused Logan's death. An autopsy was scheduled today. 

Logan was being transported from Hillcrest Hospital in "respiratory distress" to Greenville Memorial Hospital when the wreck happened at 5:17 p.m., according to Lance Cpl. Jim Dean, spokesman for the Highway Patrol. 

Both ambulance workers were transported by a Greenville County Emergency Service crew to Greenville Memorial for treatment. 

"Their conditions are being evaluated," hospital spokesman Tim Whims said Tuesday night. 

The wrecked vehicle is a Mobile Care Ambulance operated by the Greenville Hospital System, authorities said. 

Lt. Eric Lutz of the Greenville County EMS said one of his crews responded to the crash on the Connector. Greenville County EMS is separate from Mobile Care Ambulance. 

"When we got the call we thought it was one of ours," Lutz said. "Our role was getting people out of the (ambulance) and getting them to the 
hospital." 

"It's a horrific accident," he said, standing a few feet from the demolished ambulance. 

The ambulance was running its lights and sirens but authorities don't know how fast it was going, Dean said. 

The ambulance's left rear tire tread was missing, he said. A host of medical supplies were strewn on the highway after the ambulance careened 
across the median and into the southbound lane. Dean said the ambulance was heading northwest. 

A Highway Patrol reconstruction team was trying to determine why the ambulance crashed. 

UPDATE 10.2.02
This is an update on the two medics involved in the ambulance accident on Tuesday. This information comes from Rodney Scarce, a supervisor with
MobileCare Ambulance Service in Greenville, SC. Wesley Ingram was the driver of the unit at the time of the crash. He suffered injuries to T-1
and T-6, but, as of yet, there is no indication of cord involvement. He is recovering well. Tim Bowers was the tending paramedic that was thrown
from the rear of the unit during the crash. Tim was intubated on the scene and flown to the trauma center with a suspected head injury. The CT revealed no cranial hemorrhage and he was placed in Neuro ICU overnight. He was extubated Wednesday morning and continues to recover as well.
Please continue to keep the Ingram and Bowers families, as well as the Mobile Care family in your thoughts and prayers.
Dean Douglas, Captain of Operations, Greenville County EMS

Tire May Be To Blame For Deadly Ambulance Crash - - South Carolina 
Greenville- Tim Bowers, a paramedic who was attending to Logan in the back of the ambulance, was seriously injured in the crash. He was airlifted to Greenville Memorial. His condition was upgraded from critical to serious condition on Wednesday morning. The driver of the ambulance, Wesley Ingram, was also injured in the crash and was listed in fair condition. 

Autopsy: Crash caused woman's death in ambulance

Ambulance crash halts traffic
New York 
10.1.02

WATERVLIET - An ambulance transporting an elderly patient hit a dividing barrier on Interstate 787 and flipped onto its side Tuesday afternoon, 
slowing traffic down to a crawl for nearly an hour. 

The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m., when the Mohawk Ambulance was navigating the construction-riddled highway and hit the divider just 
before Exit 8 in the northbound lane.

According to state police at the scene, two Mohawk Ambulance employees were inside the vehicle, one the male driver, and the other a female 
tending to the ALS patient in the back.

While police provided few details, Mohawk Ambulance spokesperson Jacqueline Geraci said that only the female technician suffered any injuries, and 
that they were minor. 

Geraci also said the ambulance was in full emergency mode and was transporting the patient to a local hospital when the incident occurred.
"This was truly an accident and we are cooperating fully with police," Geraci said. "The driver underwent drug and alcohol testing as part of 
procedure and was more than happy to oblige."

The rollover crippled traffic and in both lanes, as portions of 787 were closed down to allow for the injured people and the damaged ambulance to be 
removed.

Driver dies, 2 critically hurt when car, ambulance collide
DeKalb - Georgia
9.22.02

A motorist was killed early Sunday when his Mercedes collided with a DeKalb County ambulance that was enroute to an earlier wreck. The fatal wreck occurred about 2 a.m. at the intersection of North Druid Hills and Clairmont roads, said DeKalb fire Lt. Eric Jackson.

The paramedics, who were headed to an accident on I-285 and had emergency lights flashing and siren blaring, Jackson said. They "stopped at the intersection and were proceeding through that intersection after making sure to the best of their ability that it was clear," Jackson said. "That's when they were hit." 

The three occupants of the Mercedes were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where the male driver later died, Jackson said. The two passengers were in critical condition Sunday.

The paramedic driving the ambulance was treated at DeKalb Medical Center and released, while the second paramedic was in stable condition Sunday at Atlanta Medical Center, Jackson said.

It was not immediately known whether heavy overnight rain contributed to the accident.

DeKalb County Fire-Rescue ambulance crash update - Georgia 9.27.02
Ju Hyun Yoo died after the car he was driving collided with a DeKalb County Fire-Rescue ambulance at the intersection of North Druid Hills 
and Clairmont roads around 2 a.m Sunday. Saturday was Yoo's 21st birthday.

The ambulance, which had its lights and sirens on en route to another call, was traveling east on North Druid Hills Road and came to a 
complete stop at the intersection, according to a DeKalb County Police report. The driver, Raymond Anderson of Douglasville, told police that he proceeded through the intersection when he saw traffic was stopped. 

Yoo, who was driving south on Clairmont, went through the intersection and hit the driver's side of the ambulance. Yoo and two passengers in the Mercedes Benz, College sophomore Ji Kim and fellow student Hae Park, were extricated from the vehicle and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where Yoo later died.

DeKalb County Police spokeswoman Pam Kunz said Yoo was conscious at the accident scene and was able to talk to police and paramedics. 
Kim and Park were both listed in stable condition as of press time Wednesday.

"[The paramedics] didn't realize how severe it was," Kunz said of Yoo's injuries at the scene. The three passengers in the Mercedes were not wearing seat belts, Kunz said.  Anderson and another paramedic, who were both wearing seat belts, were treated at other Atlanta hospitals and released.

Kunz said the cause of the accident and what factors may have played a role in the crash are still under investigation. She said Yoo had 
been charged with driving under the influence, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, having no proof of insurance, not wearing seatbelt, 
reckless driving and having expired tags before he died.

Details from the supplemental police reports have not yet been released. 

Motorist cited after hitting Reno ambulance
Reno, Nevada
9.23.02

  A motorist is charged with failure to yield to an emergency vehicle after she ran into an ambulance at the Sierra Street off-ramp from Interstate-80.   The Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority ambulance was operating its siren and emergency lights and transporting a critically ill patient to Saint Marys Regional Medical Center Sunday evening when the accident occurred. 

  Police say the motorist ran a red light, hit the ambulance, then struck a traffic signal post. The ticketed motorist was not injured and her name was not available.   The patient being transported was not injured. 

  Police say paramedic Paul Stuto and emergency medical technician Kila Banner were treated for minor injuries at Saint 
Mary's.

Rough road for man in rollover
Akron, Ohio
9.13.02

Ambulance crash hurts man having chest pains because of missing wife
By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer

Talk about your anxiety attacks.

An Akron man who called 911 because he was having such an attack ended up in the trauma center.

But his rocky ride to the hospital that ended with a thud on Interstate 76 may have contributed to his stay.

William Farkas, 23, said he was distraught about the disappearance of his wife, Angela, who's been missing for seven days. He said last 
Thursday he dropped off their 3-year-old daughter at a baby sitter's home and, when he returned home, his wife was gone.

Since she's been missing, Farkas said he has not been able to eat or sleep. He said it has taken a toll on his body.

As a result, he was having chest pains and breathing problems when he called 911 early Wednesday morning.

But while Farkas was in the back of an American Medical Response ambulance answering medical questions en route to Akron General Medical 
Center, the driver, 25-year-old Jennifer Lape of Barberton, fell asleep about 7 a.m., according to Akron police.

Farkas then heard a bang as the ambulance crashed into a northbound barrier and rolled on its side on the Kenmore leg of Interstate 76 near 
East Avenue.

``I didn't even know the driver had fallen asleep. I just thought she missed a turn or another car was involved. I didn't know she lost control of 
the car,'' he said.

``All I could think of was `Oh, God, this is 9/11, the day America was expecting something to happen and this is it. It's happening to me.' ''

After the crash, Farkas said he was looking to paramedic Tim McCurry, 30, of Wadsworth, for help.

``(McCurry) was my safety net; the guy who came to rescue me. But after seeing him banging against the van, he looked like he needed my help 
more than I needed his,'' he said.

McCurry remains in serious condition at Akron General Medical Center. Farkas was treated and released.

Lape has been released from Akron City Hospital. She was cited for failure to control, police said.

``We haven't come to any conclusions yet as to how the accident happened,'' said Daniel B. Csaky, director of American Medical Response. 
``The accident is still under investigation internally. Naturally, we are concerned about the well-being of our employees and patients.''

Farkas said Csaky told him not to worry about his medical expenses. ``That's all well and good, but I didn't even get an, `I'm sorry.' The least he 
could have done was apologized for the incident. I would have had better luck getting in my car and driving myself to the hospital, instead of 
calling 911,'' Farkas said.

Farkas said he moved to Akron two months ago after being laid off from a job in Medina, but the last week has been the toughest.

His wife is missing, he's out of work, he had an anxiety attack and his ambulance crashed.

Farkas has filed a missing persons report with Akron police on his wife.

``She wouldn't just leave and not call, not for seven days. Our daughter's first day of school was Monday. She wouldn't have missed that.''

Farkas said he was ready to move back to Medina and would pack his bags immediately if his wife returned home, but he couldn't leave without 
her.

``I can't take much more of this.''

2 EMTs hurt in ambulance accident - New Jersey
9.17.02

Two emergency medical technicians were taken to the Jersey City Medical Center yesterday afternoon after their ambulance was struck by a SUV at the intersection of Arlington and Wilkinson avenues, causing the EMTs to crash into a tree, police said.
  
The driver of the Ford Explorer, a 36-year-old male, was also taken to the Medical Center for observation, police said.
 It was not immediately clear what kind of injuries EMTs Steve Nacim and Lenin Portes, or the driver, had sustained, police said.
  
According to a police report, Nacim and Portes were traveling south on Arlington Avenue around 4:30 p.m., heading to Randolph Avenue, when they passed through the Wilkinson Avenue intersection with their lights and siren on. The driver of the Explorer, whose name was not released, crossed the intersection striking the ambulance, police said. 
  
The ambulance then struck a tree, police said. Police said no summonses were issued to the driver of the Explorer.
  
Two additional Medical Center ambulances responded to the scene to transport the three injured people to the hospital, police said. - Jennifer Morrill 

Ambulance rolls over on I-35
Austin, Texas
9.07.02

Rain may have played a part in an early morning accident on Interstate 35 involving an ambulance. It happened Saturday morning on the northbound lanes of the interstate near Riverside Drive.

Police said another vehicle also crashed when the ambulance rolled over on its side.

A patient and family member were inside with two emergency workers. All of them were taken to Brackenridge Hospital, and so far officials say things are looking OK despite what happened.

"The last report I got was everyone was OK, and that was just about all they told me. You can see from the looks of the ambulance it held up very well. I've actually looked inside the patient compartment, and it's totally intact – stretcher’s in place, still secure. From that standpoint it looks real good," said Warren Hassinger of Austin/Travis County EMS.

One of the medics is being held at the hospital for observation.

Ambulance, truck collide in Roanoke, Virginia
9.6.02

Truck's driver says he didn't hear sirens until too late 

Police said the ambulance had its emergency lights and sirens on as it went through a red light. The pickup truck had a green light. 

An ambulance collided with a pickup truck Thursday afternoon while taking a patient to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. 

The ambulance had driven from Wytheville with a cardiac patient when it went through a red light at Jefferson Street and Albemarle Avenue about 2:30 p.m., authorities said. The ambulance had its emergency lights and sirens on, Roanoke police spokeswoman Shelly Alley said. 

The pickup truck had a green light. 

Emergency vehicles are allowed to go through red traffic signals with their equipment activated but still must use caution through intersections, authorities said. The pickup truck driver, Hayward Statum II , said he didn't hear sirens until he was in the middle of the intersection. 

Statum was driving west on Albemarle Avenue when the wreck occurred. 

"I slammed on my brakes. There was nothing I could do," he said. 

Police were unable to provide the speeds of the vehicles. 

The impact pushed the ambulance onto its right side. The ambulance driver, 19-year-old Shelly Vannoy of Rural Retreat, was hanging from her seat belt when rescue workers arrived. She had to be pulled out. 

Vannoy, her fellow emergency worker Jaminet Ling and the patient, whose name wasn't available, were taken to Roanoke Memorial for injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Alley said. She wasn't sure why the patient was being transported. 

Statum, 34, of Roanoke, refused treatment at the scene but said he was going to visit his doctor for pain in his back. 

Immediately after the wreck, doctors and nurses from a nearby Carilion building and from Jefferson Internal Medicine Associates spilled onto the street to offer assistance. Sandra Hoopes, a registered nurse who works in Carilion's diabetic clinic as a nurse educator, said she rushed outside after watching the ambulance fall onto its side. 

"I heard the impact and looked out my window to see the ambulance turning over," she said at the scene. 

Hoopes helped assess the victims inside the ambulance. The cardiac patient, who already had an intravenous line in, seemed stable, she said. None of the victims appeared to have extensive injuries, she said. 

Alley said the crash remains under investigation. No charges had been placed Thursday afternoon. 

Rescue crew in second wreck; Coroner: Victim of first already dead 
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
9.6.02

An ambulance carrying a clinically dead accident victim was sideswiped by a car as it went through a Springettsbury Township intersection on the 
way to York Hospital yesterday. 

The patient, James Magot, 22, of Cambridge Street in Lancaster, was pronounced dead at the hospital at 6:44 p.m. from multiple blunt-force 
trauma, according to the county coroner's office. 

Deputy Coroner Claude Stabley said Magot was in cardiac arrest and clinically dead before the second accident occurred. 

"The delay at the second accident did nothing to jeopardize his chances at being able to be resuscitated," he said. 

Stabley said no autopsy will be performed. 

Hellam wreck: Magot was injured in a 5:45 p.m. accident in the eastbound lanes of Route 30 at the Hallam exit. 

Hellam Township Police said he lost control of his white Nissan in the left lane, just west of the exit. The Nissan crossed the exit ramp, traveled 
down a grassy hill and struck several trees. 

Police do not believe any other vehicles were involved but are still not sure how Magot lost control of the car, Police Chief Mike Dupler said. 

Several people who heard or saw the accident rushed to Magot's aid. 

Adrian Shaffer was standing in the garage of his Old Church Lane home when he heard the crash. He called 911 then ran to the crumpled car 
with a fire extinguisher where he and others extinguished a small fire smoldering under the Nissan's hood. 

Scott Shultz, who was cutting weeds when he saw the crash, also called 911, then ran to the vehicle. He said a handful of neighbors were 
attempting to free Magot and one used a rock to break the driver's-side window. 

Shultz said the driver appeared unconscious as he reached inside the car to cradle his head. 

"I tried talking to him, to get a few words out," Shultz said. "I'm pretty sure I'd seen him take his last breath." 

Emergency workers from Wrightsville and Hellam used hydraulic equipment to free Magot. Although he was clinically dead, paramedics tried to 
resuscitate him all the way to the hospital, Stabley said. 

Springetts wreck: Springettsbury Township Police said the Wrightsville ambulance was struck at 6:21 p.m., as it headed west on East Market 
Street. 

Facing a red light at Mount Zion Road, the ambulance stopped, then drove through the intersection with its lights and siren on. It was struck by a 
1997 Nissan Sentra traveling south on Mount Zion. 

Driver Susmita R. Amin, and her 12-year-old daughter were taken to York Hospital with minor injuries. Amin was treated and released yesterday. 
No information was available on Amin's daughter. 

Witness accounts: Donald I. Bender Jr. of Lower Windsor Township said driving west on East Market Street and saw the ambulance approach him 
from behind, stop at the intersection and then drive on. 

"As soon as he made it just about all the way through the intersection, the car nailed him on the side," Bender said. 

Ken Hertz of Lancaster was driving south on Mount Zion Road with his wife, stopped at the intersection for the ambulance to pass, then saw the 
Sentra pass on their right. 

"She just basically came out of nowhere and sideswiped the ambulance -- it didn't look to me that she made any attempt to brake," Ken Hertz 
said. 

Kim Hertz said one paramedic enlisted her to direct traffic around the accident as he attended to Amin and her daughter. 

The ambulance crew -- who escaped injury -- remained at the intersection for about five minutes to help Amin until a Springettsbury ambulance 
arrived; the crew then continued on to York Hospital.