New York – A motor vehicle accident between an ambulette and a car occurred last night in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens. The ambulette van crashed into the car and then lunged forward into a fence, according to reports. After slamming through the fence, it came to rest half on a stone wall and half in a parking lot, having narrowly missed hitting a building. At least two accident victims suffered injuries in the van crash. It is unclear if any passengers were in the ambulette at the time of the collision. Ambulettes are usually used to transport sick and disabled people to and from hospitals and doctor’s appointments when they are unable to travel by regular car. Often, these people are wheelchair-bound or unable to walk or sit in a regular seat. Healthcare system experts say that these people often need extra special care and attention due to their disabilities and increased susceptibility to injury.

Observers note that this ambulette crash is similar to another recent but deadly ambulette accident in West Nyack, New York. That collision occurred just a month and a half ago and involved a mini bus and the medical transport van close to the Palisades Center shopping mall in Rockland County. It left one victim dead and four additional people injured in the crash along with many questions about ambulette driver training and safety. Transportation safety activists have demanded that officials look into these ambulette collisions and determine if additional training and safety regulations are necessary to ensure public safety. They warn that the fragile state of citizens who require specialized medical transportation in an ambulette must be the highest priority. Some point out that a reckless driver or negligent worker can easily lead to catastrophic consequences. See this video and article for more about this fatal van accident.

Illustrative Photo Credit: hmmmayor [License]