A Medics ambulance traveling on I-95 in Broward County, Florida was struck by a negligent driver traveling in the HOV lane next to the ambulance. The collision caused the ambulance to veer across the four lanes to the right of the point of impact, leave the roadway, and then flip three times before coming to its final rest. The horrific accident was captured on the ambulance’s dash camera. While the driver of the ambulance was properly restrained with her seat belt and combined shoulder harness, she still suffered a brain concussive injury, as well as spinal and orthopedic injuries. The ambulance attendant allegedly also suffered a serious injury to his cervical region. The passenger in the ambulance (who had recently received an artificial knee replacement) was being transported from Holy Cross Hospital to a physical rehabilitation facility, may have suffered a fractured vertebra in his spinal column, and may also be facing surgical intervention to treat his injuries from this accident.
A tire on the vehicle which caused the accident, alleged failed. This either occurred during the accident or may have been the cause of its driver losing control of the vehicle causing it to strike the Medics ambulance.
A recent article entitled Characteristic of Emergency Medical Technicians involved in Ambulance Crashes has been published by Jonathan R. Studnek M.S., and Antonio R. Fernandez, BS, for the NREMT (The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians). The objective of the abstract was to explore the hypothesis that demographic and work related characteristics are associated with ambulance crashes. Surveys were received from 1,755 participants. A total of 8.6 percent of the participants in the survey or 111 participants reported being involved in an ambulance crash within the past 12 months. Apparently, the conclusion reached was that the analysis suggested that age and sleep problems were associated with involvement in ambulance crashes.
