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Ambulance Driver Charged in Fatal Crash

6 comments

Retired Firefighter Killed

THE DRIVER OF A CAMPBELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA, AMBULANCE was charged today (Friday) with reckless driving following a crash in Lynchburg Thursday afternoon.

WSET-TV

The crash occurred at a controlled intersection when the ambulance drove through a red light and collided with a pickup truck, killing the truck's driver, Dean Anders, 69, a retired Lynchburg firefighter who died on the scene.  The pickup had already entered the intersection when the ambulance came through and struck the truck on the passenger side causing it to flip over.

The Lynchburg News and Advance reports:

A witness at the scene said she was on Campbell Avenue heading into the city, when the ambulance passed her.

Roseann Dickerson, of Lynchburg, said she saw the ambulance slow approaching the light, but continued through the intersection where it hit the pickup. At one point, the ambulance was sitting partially on top of the truck, she said.

Capt. Ryan Zuidema, of the Lynchburg Police Department, said the ambulance was transporting a patient to Lynchburg General Hospital.

That patient, a family member, Kidd and another Campbell County emergency worker staffing the ambulance were taken to Lynchburg General Hospital. None are believed to have life-threatening injuries.

WSET-TV reports in this video that Dean Anders was not wearing a seat belt:

 

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Posted by on May 4, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances, Videos • Tagged: , , ,
  • Dave

    Will we ever stop calling EMTs “Ambulance Drivers”?

  • Comrlg

    Probably not but I can’t seem to figure out why they don’t call them fire truck drivers and police car drivers…..why ambulance drivers?

  • Poptart627

    In this case, ambulance driver is acceptable, I think, because the person driving really was the “ambulance driver”. However, when there’s a code save or something like that, we should be called medics or EMTs. And they do say “driver of the fire truck” or police car, or dump truck, what have you, when the story is about the driver.

  • Firegeezer

    Comrig,
    Instead of being called “fire truck drivers,” they are called “engine drivers” or “truck/aerial/tower” drivers.  It’s a promotable rank and they are proud of their titles.

  • Andy Caruso

    They are referring to the “ambulance driver” because he was driving the ambulance (albeit in an irresponsible manner) that crashed into an innocent guy doing his errands.  This had nothing to do with his patient-care or public safety role.  No different than “the pickup truck driver.”

  • Supermedic

    Um… The guy obviously failed to yield to the giant ambulance approaching the intersection. He should have gotten his hearing checked prior to the accident. He’d still be alive.  Or at least stopped texting and listening to the radio.