Ambulance Crash - Austin, Texas

[Dustdevil]

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/sha...g_into_amb.html

EMS officials looking into ambulance crash with toll booth

By Tony Plohetski | Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 02:36 PM

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services officials said today they are awaiting damages estimates on an ambulance that crashed last week into the barrier of a Texas 45 North toll booth.

The accident Friday near the intersection of Texas 130 caused significant damage to the unit, which was not carrying a patient at the time. No one was injured.

The barrier “kind of peeled it open like a can,” said James Shamard, assistant chief of EMS operations. “It is pretty serious damage.”

Shamard said paramedics, whose names he did not immediately know, had responded to a call that did not involve taking a patient to the hospital. Upon approaching the toll booth, the right passenger corner of the ambulance crashed into a barrier made of concrete and metal, he said.

Shamard said he did not know what caused the crash but that the toll lanes are wide enough for ambulances.

Officials said the crash was the most significant involving an EMS unit in a year to 18 months.

[tniuqs]

Just how the hell can you impact a Toll booth at this speed ?

Shamard said paramedics, whose names he did not immediately know, had responded to a call that did not involve taking a patient to the hospital.

Sharmard was heard to say under his breath, long term employment is highly unlikely when I do find out who was driving ... LOL>

Well unless this was a mechanical failure (statistically very unlikely)

cheers

[JakeEMTP]

Just how the hell can you impact a Toll booth at this speed ?

I was going to ask the same question. As much praise as I have for Austin/Travis EMS, there still seems to be a least 1 dumbass working there.

[p3medic]

Big vehicle, sun in drivers eyes....Who knows? Accidents happen, at least no one was hurt.

[Kiwiology]

Um, .... hell even with ME driving the freaking thing I could see a mile away, ME!!! so I dno HTF they managed that.

Dispatch er, we'll be out for a while on a, ahhhh howinthefuckdidwemanagetodothat? job

[JakeEMTP]

Big vehicle, sun in drivers eyes....Who knows? Accidents happen, at least no one was hurt.

True. But hitting a toll booth? Not an accident. I drove a much bigger vehicle, with the sun in my eyes and never hit anything. Ever take a semi onto the GW bridge? THAT, is a narrow toll lane!

[Chief1C]

Well, if that's the most significant crash in 18 months, gotta say, they are doing pretty well. Probably best they didn't have a patient, the speed/impact probably would have been a lot worse.

[FireMedic65]

When I am driving and can't see well due to sun being in my eyes... I generally slow down...

[ncmedic309]

Shit happens - and it's going to happen to somebody - looks like it was their turn...

[bigj1130]

There is a combination of things that did go wrong...

Wrong lane in the booth. the lugs of the ambulance only clear that particular lane by 9 inches. which means even if the operator cleared that nine inches,4.5 inches on each side, the mirrors would not have cleared the cameras that are at the curbs of the booths. The toll plazas have wide load lane for semis fire apparatus etc. and this was not it...

Inexperience, while I will not make any comments on the operator of the vehicle I will say, that a lack of operational expertise involving our medium duty ambulances was probably a factor. including bad fender judgement.

Speed, After looking up some things speed did come in to play though I will not comment on the extent.

Rumors going around is that the total expense for this incident could total up to about 350-400K. This is a bad wreck but we have had several in the past year. I think that is fueling the arguement from city management to get us out of medium duties to F350s or F450s. But I will not comment on that either