Ambulance on its Side after Crash, Medics Sent to Hospital
An ambulance and another vehicle were involved in a crash that left the emergency vehicle on its side leaving five people injured.
Davie Fire Rescue was on the scene where five people were injured, including the two medics aboard the ambulance.
The accident occurred on Oaks Road and State Road 7 and caused some traffic on southbound 441. Drivers were urged to use alternate routes.
The victims were treated on the scene for non-life threatening injuries and taken to the hospital for observation.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated in a recent report that nearly three of every four rollovers that result in a fatality happen on a rural road with a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour or more. Excessive speeding over the posted speed limit was cited as a major contributing factor in approximately 40 per cent of all vehicle rollovers that ended in a fatality. While only about 3 per cent of all crashes are rollovers, rollovers accidents account for one third of all vehicle-passenger deaths across the U.S.
Because of the nature of the situations that face much ambulance, fire truck and other emergency vehicle drivers, they are often required to travel at higher rates of speed to answer emergency calls. Sometimes high speeds can make for a treacherous situation where accidents are more likely to occur. Most drivers know that they have to share the road with emergency vehicles and they know what to do when they hear a siren.
When emergency vehicles are rushing to or from an accident or if law enforcement is pursuit of someone trying to evade being caught, for example, such incidents can lead to serious accidents involving personal injury or death. Sometimes those injuries can happen not only to the officers of the law and the suspects that are in the chase, but also to unsuspecting civilians as well.
There are certain procedures in place to insure that the safety of everyone is insured while the emergency responders can get to their calls safely and quickly and without further injury to those being transported or the crews that ride on them. Everyone knows to get out of the way, however, few people think about just how closely they should follow behind and emergency vehicle. In most states, the minimum distance to safely follow an emergency vehicle, including police, fire and ambulance is between 300 and 500 feet. There can be penalties to drivers who do not stay a safe distance from or interfere with the operation of emergency vehicles, especially if they are on a call.
If you or a loved one has been involved in any kind of rollover accident or an accident with an emergency vehicle, give our offices a call. Our attorneys have had many years of combined experience in successfully representing clients in the Texas courts. The time and money needed victims of rollover accidents can be high and when dealing with the various government and business entities surrounding emergency services, acting quickly is key to filing a claim. Because in accidents involving rollovers or emergency vehicles, there are medical expenses, physical therapy to help recover from temporary or even permanent injury, plus the loss of income. These costs can mount up over a very short period of time. When you call our offices, we will take the time to listen to the details then outline what the next steps should be in proceeding with your case. We may also hire our own professional investigators to help determine what the facts surrounding the accident are. We will make certain that we get the compensation that you and your loved ones are entitled to. We are here to help. Your initial consultation is free, confidential and without obligation.