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Tag Archives: ambulance accident

FDNY fire truck versus ambulance accident with injuries and one death

New York – A fire truck accident occurred when two FDNY emergency vehicles collided in a deadly motor vehicle accident. The fire truck was responding in emergency mode with flashing lights and sirens activated when it slammed into the ambulance in the middle of an intersection. The ambulance was also driving through the intersection while it was transporting a sick patient to the emergency room. That patient had been suffering from a cardiac emergency but also ended up sustaining fatal accident injuries during the truck crash. The ambulance was apparently sent into a tail spin and then struck a civilian car during the series of collisions.

Police and additional emergency medical responders to the scene evacuated multiple injured accident victims. However, they were unable to save the patient in the ambulance collision and he was pronounced dead soon after. This accident has raised concern regarding the dangerous condition created when multiple emergency vehicles respond to various emergencies in the densely populated New York City. Experts say that increased safety measures are needed and must be stressed on drivers of these police cars, fire trucks and ambulances in order to prevent unnecessary injury and wrongful death. Find out further details about this FDNY accident here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Borofkin (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Pedestrian injured in ambulance accident

New York – A police ambulance in Nassau County on Long Island struck and injured a young man in a pedestrian struck accident. The pedestrian accident occurred when the ambulance was making a turn and hit the man who had been crossing the street. Investigators indicated that the crash took place while the ambulance was travelling with lights and sirens to an emergency call. The injury victim was then rushed to the hospital with critical injuries according to doctors. This is, unfortunately, not an uncommon event where an ambulance hits a pedestrian. Another such case took place only a few days earlier with a Fire Department of New York (FDNY) ambulance striking a pedestrian teen crossing the street.

It should be noted that emergency medical technicians and paramedics are trained in the safe operation of their emergency vehicles, including ambulances and first response vehicles. They are supposed to undergo intense training to avoid such catastrophic collisions such as this. Included in the protocols is that the driver must always be aware that they must operate the emergency vehicle in such a manner as to protect others, even when responding to an emergency with lights and sirens. They should be aware that other drivers and pedestrians may not hear, see or be aware of the emergency vehicle until the last moment and must therefore be ready to stop. Despite the emergency nature of their response to an emergency call, there is little that justifies injuring or killing someone else on their way to the call. Due caution is their ultimate responsibility and a crash can sometimes be due to negligence or even reckless driving. Further investigations will be necessary to determine the cause of these specific ambulance collisions. Please read more about the most recent ambulance accident here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Chris Sampson [License]

Official New York City vehicles increasingly involved in accidents

New York – A comparison in car and truck accident data from 2015 to 2016 involving city vehicles and employees shows some frightening results. The report shows that there was an over 10% increase in the number of collisions involving city municipal vehicles, including ambulances, fire trucks, garbage trucks, buses, city inspector cars and others, but excluding police cars. The most significant intensification in truck and motor vehicle crashes involved ambulances that are owned and managed by the FDNY. Ambulance accidents went up by more than 30% compared to last year. Unfortunately, further data regarding the numbers and types of accident injuries from these collisions has not been made available as of yet. New Yorkers have expressed concern regarding these new statistics, saying that this puts citizen’s lives and health at risk. They note that many of the city vehicles involved in these crashes are emergency vehicles that are speeding or reckless driving, leading to both more accidents as well as more serious injuries and deaths. An ambulance carries extra weight with all of the emergency equipment and the force of these accidents can cause irreparable damage. This holds true even more so for garbage and fire truck and bus accidents. Citizens are quick to point out that they appreciate the many emergency workers and city employees who do their work diligently and watch out for public safety. However, they demand that the city government and agencies work even harder to eliminate the dangers and problems that obviously still exist.

The city has reportedly worked to deal with the dangerous driver issue within their employees but even additional driver safety training has yet to solve the near-epidemic. Some experts wonder if the problem lies with the initial hiring and vetting process within the city’s agencies. Are they doing their due diligence to weed out reckless drivers and other hazards? Has the city done its part in preventing city officials from hiding behind their credentials and agencies when doing something illegal or dangerous? Citizen activists complain that many city workers speed, make dangerous U-turns and park in dangerous locations with impunity. Many questions are yet unanswered but one thing is clear – much more needs to be done to prevent further collisions, injuries and wrongful death. Check out this article for more on the increased city vehicle collisions.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Ethan [License]

Long Island ambulance accident kills two victims

New York – Earlier today a private ambulance was involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash on the Southern State Parkway in Nassau County. The ambulance hit a highway overpass support wall while it was transporting a patient in the rear. According to the ambulance company, the EMT and driver of the ambulance were not travelling with lights or sirens, as this was a non-emergency transport. Images from the scene of the collision show that the entire front end of the truck was crushed inward. Additional ambulances from Nassau County were called in to treat the injured victims. Officials reported that the ambulance driver was killed after being crushed inside. In addition, the patient who was being transported in the back also died from the severe accident injuries. The cause of the accident is still being looked into by police. Investigators noted that it appears the driver lost control of the ambulance and slammed directly into the wall. His EMT partner in the back was also injured in the crash, including a suffering a head injury with concussion and leg fracture. That injury victim’s condition is still guarded and he will require hospitalization.

This ambulance collision is reminiscent of previous ones, including this ambulance versus bus crash in Brooklyn, New York and this ambulance and car accident in Queens. Emergency management specialists explain that the dangers involved with operating an ambulance or other emergency vehicle is quite serious. They note that the vehicles are heavier than many other vehicles on the road, require intensive training and constant awareness. Public safety activists worry that some drivers of these trucks are distracted by other things, such as their radios, cell phones or conversations while driving. Proper training to avoid these distracted driver risks is essential. You can see updates about the recent ambulance crash here.

Illustrative Photo by U.S. Navy [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Brooklyn Bridge motor vehicle crash leaves multiple injured victims

New York – A 3 car pile-up car accident on the Brooklyn Bridge reportedly began when a broken down car was rear-ended by a second vehicle. The disabled car had been parked in the right lane of the roadway when it was struck by the second vehicle. However, a third car then slammed into the second, causing that second vehicle to roll over. The roll-over accident then caused a passenger to be ejected from the car. Police believe that the driver of the car that flipped over was drunk driving, possibly causing the first collision. The suspected drunk driver was arrested and brought in for further investigation according to officials. By the end of the triple vehicle car crash, there were at least seven injury victims who required emergency evaluation and treatment. Several of the victims suffered with neck and back pain, which may indicate spinal damage, according to medical specialists. They explain that the spinal injury could be simple muscle aches but could also be indicative of fractured vertebrae, herniated discs, disc bulges or even spinal cord damage.

This accident was reminiscent of a recent ambulance accident where the ambulance also rolled over. That collision also occurred in Brooklyn, very close to the exit for the Brooklyn Bridge. The accident involved an SUV truck that was hit by the ambulance, that was travelling with emergency lights and sirens as it was responding to the scene of an unrelated crash. There were four people with injuries in the accident, including the two EMTs working on the ambulance. See details about the multi-vehicle Brooklyn Bridge accident here.

Illustrative photo by: Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Ambulance accident in Brooklyn, New York leaves multiple injured

New York – An ambulance versus bus accident left several people injured last night. The bus was hit by an ambulance during the evening hours, just as the bus was carrying children home from their school in Borough Park. Records show that the ambulance was responding to an unrelated emergency at the time of the motor vehicle accident. It is still unclear if the fire department ambulance was driving with lights and sirens activated at the time of the crash. Officials say that the paramedic team and another person from the bus suffered serious injuries. Reports from the scene of the collision indicate that several of the children on the bus suffered accident injuries as well. Trauma specialists note that injuries from a bus crash such as this may need evaluation even when they initially appear to be minor. They say that some significant wounds, such as spinal injury or even intracranial bleeding, can appear as only minor bumps and bruises. However, if left untreated, these injuries can leave a trauma victim disabled or can even lead to death. Accident victims are advised to see a doctor or go to the closest hospital emergency room for evaluation of injuries and proper care. More details about this ambulance collision are on hand here.

Illustrative photo by Kevin.B (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons