Another Ambulance Crash

[akflightmedic]

Over the past 7 days, I have been following the ambulance crash log nation wide. There has been a significant spike in crashes and these are only ones that are reported.

Unfortunately for this one, it involved an ambulance responding in emergent mode that Tboned a passenger vehicle that had the green light.

Please remember everyone, drive with due regard. Lights and sirens are ASKING for the right away, they are not automatically given, nor should it ever be assummed. Slow down, complete stops, use good judgement.

Not only is the woman dead, her family suffers of course...but also, the medics now live with the fact that they killed someone. They will carry that for many years and for what? Was the call they were responding to worth it? We will never know, but what we do know is now that this ambulance crashed, more resources were dispatched and that many more people were put at risk.

One ambulance to handle the original call

Three ambulances for the crash scene

Three fire trucks for the scene (2 for extrication, one for LZ setup)

1 helicopter

1 supervisor vehicle

unknown police vehicles

Their mistake (the responding unit) just drained the system, pulled units from all over which surely affected calls in other areas, and took a life as well as injuring themselves.

It makes me sad...AK

http://www.emsnetwork.org/artman2/publish/...cle_32681.shtml

60-Year-Old Woman in Critical Condition After Car Collides With Ambulance - Florida

The driver of the car, who had a green light, drove into the path of the oncoming ambulance

A 60-year-old woman remains in critical condition after her car collided with an ambulance this morning in west Orange County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Alice Upshaw, of Orlando, was driving a 2008 Toyota sedan north at 10:19 a.m. on Edgewood Ranch Road, approaching Old Winter Garden Road, when an ambulance heading east on Old Winter Garden Road crashed into the driver's side of her car, reports show. FHP earlier reported an incorrect age for Upshaw.

Upshaw, who had a green light, drove into the path of the oncoming ambulance, FHP Sgt. Kim Miller said. Witnesses told troopers the ambulance had its lights and sirens activated when it ran through a red light, Miller said.

The ambulance driver, 26-year-old Andrew Simpson, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Health Central in Ocoee.

An emergency medical technician, 49-year-old Kamal Kamal, who was in the ambulance was also taken to Health Central with minor injuries.

A student paramedic, 20-year-old Jose Velez, was not injured.

There were no patients in the ambulance at the time of the crash, Miller said.

Charges are pending and investigators have not determined who was at fault in the crash.

[Timmy]

You guys have an ambulance crash log? :shock:

[spenac]

You guys have an ambulance crash log? :shock:

Yup so we can stay up with our fellow medics. :shock:

http://www.emsnetwork.org/artman2/publish/...e-crashes.shtml

[firedoc5]

Are there more accidents, or are we just hearing more about them?

Giving the right-a-way to any emergency vehicle is a "courtesy". You always slow down at an intersection. Never assume they are going to be courteous.

[Richard B the EMT]

I state anecdotally, most drivers in non emergency vehicles drive as if they have no emergency vehicles at all operating within a 10 mile circle from their vehicle.

[ladybear]

I was passed by an ambulance on the freeway two days ago that I seriously was watching and waiting for him to crash. I was doing 80, he passed me like I was standing still, no lights, no sirens.

We both ended up taking the same exit, which T's to another exit, Freeway north, Freeway south...

He ended up going north, which requires that you slow way the heck down.. to like 35 to avoid overturning. The guy was all over the lanes trying to maintain control of that ambulance.

I think this is the type of driver that tends to cause the "ambulance driver" caused accidents.

[akflightmedic]

Which is why I have absolutely no problem with govenors (sp?) on ambulances.

It is a great device for removing A PART of the idiot factor from the driver/ing equation.

[firedoc5]

I was passed by an ambulance on the freeway two days ago that I seriously was watching and waiting for him to crash. I was doing 80, he passed me like I was standing still, no lights, no sirens.

We both ended up taking the same exit, which T's to another exit, Freeway north, Freeway south...

He ended up going north, which requires that you slow way the heck down.. to like 35 to avoid overturning. The guy was all over the lanes trying to maintain control of that ambulance.

I think this is the type of driver that tends to cause the "ambulance driver" caused accidents.

I've had ambulances pass me like that and I watched them closely until they got out of site. A couple of times I just knew I was going to pull up on a wreck.

[VentMedic]

I think this is the type of driver that tends to cause the "ambulance driver" caused accidents.

I used to work for a large ambulance company from 1978 to the later 80s that used "Ambulance Drivers" that weren't EMTs. They already had a lot of road hours logged as truck drivers, retired bus drivers (from NYC), garbage truck drivers, cab drivers and retired LEOs. The company started to see a big increase in accidents, and serious ones, when the young EMTs were starting to replace the "professional drivers". Their experience was a 2 y/o driver's license and a weekend EVOC.

In this day of distracting gadgets like iPods, cell phones, GPS devices, laptop computers and almost sound proof cars, it would not be wise to "assume" one would notice a big truck right in front of them under any conditions. Compound that with the number of emergency vehicles responding to various calls or the same call and you have a recipe for confusion and disaster. Then, you can factor in the impaired drivers and the different age groups like the older person whose reflexes may be slower or the young inexperienced drivers who haven't mastered their driving reflexes yet. These factors could probably apply to those in POVs and behind the wheel of an ambulance.