Just a friendly reminder to wear your seatbelt

[JPINFV]

Investigators say a car hit the ambulance in the intersection, forcing it to run up onto a curb and into the entrance of P & G Wear, a clothing store at 301 Belmont Street.

...

"To see them all still on their bed, they weren't like thrown around in the ambulance or anything like that. It was just extraordinary that you didn't see them up against the wall," said Chimielewski.

...

Authorities say it's a dangerous intersection, with accidents happening about once a week.

"It's normal routine at this intersection. We need a couple of lights here," Baker said.

"We expected a lot of injuries, a lot of people to be transported. We were very lucky this time."

http://wbztv.com/local/ambulance.crash.brockton.2.1442158.html

 

[EMSLaw]

I believe that unit will be out of service for the remainder of the shift. And the forseeable future.

Glad the EMTs inside, however, will be back in service, being harder to repair than an ambulance, if somewhat easier and less costly to replace. (Yes, that's a joke. People are way more valuable than ambulances.)

 

[TransportJockey]

That'll buff right out

 

[EMSLaw]

That'll buff right out

Is that the hood next to the passenger door?

 

[Tincanfireman]

One Rapid Ambulance to one rapidly totalled unit...

 

[CAOX3]

That can be buffed out.

 

[JPINFV]

That can be buffed out.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhEw7nD9C4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[rhan101277]

That ambulance looks like its from the 1980's, don't know if I would be excited to see it coming in my time of need.

 

[medicdan]

That ambulance looks like its from the 1980's, don't know if I would be excited to see it coming in my time of need.

My understanding was that this company has fairly new ambulances.

EDIT: I checked another local news station's website... and they did a story from the junkyard where the truck had been towed to... and it looks like a 2009/2010 Ford front end...
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/slideshow/news/22314177/detail.html?qs=1;s=1;p=news&dm=ss&tn=b

I'd like to say the answer to this problem is education, but especially in driver education, nothing replaces experience, and frankly, common sense. Courses like EVOC (and CEVO) are good, but they only last a few hours, and all too often, are not followed up with driver supervision and quality assurance. What the answer really might be is to require ambulance (or emergency vehicle) endorsements on drivers licenses. A comprehensive education, and skills measurement system may be a start.. and however much it hurts me to say this, I dont always think EMTs under 21 should be driving an emergency vehicle...

Young drivers are generally dangerous when they lack experience. It's not just young drivers, though. Any immature person or someone with little practical experience can be the same. We just see it more in young EMTs. When you mix that with roads you don't know, a top-heavy vehicle, adrenaline and the pressures of the family / patient / employer...it's not a good combination, even on a early-morning dialysis run.

For the record, however, this driver was 22 years old, according to one news station, and while no charges have been set, it appears the vehicle failed to yield to a stop sign while travelling non-emergency.

 

[JPINFV]

That ambulance was essentially brand new. I still have my sources inside there.

Edit:

I also know the route that that transport takes. First off, Brockton sucks. Essentially the main roads run, IIRC, East-West in that portion of town and the trip from the patient's house to the dialysis center is mostly North/South (I could have my directions mixed up, if so, then just reverse them). As such, the most efficient route is going from side street to side street crossing roads at two way stops. I can't comment as to what happened during the transport and all of my information is second hand. If a driver isn't willing to wait a while at some of the cross roads, I can see how it can be dangerous.