Sault Ste. Marie, MI Medic destroyed

[mmartinfan]

Ambulance totaled, injuries minor in M-28 crash

Story created Dec 01, 2006 - 12:00:29 EST.

ECKERMAN - A Sault Ste. Marie ambulance was destroyed and a Cloverland Electric Cooperative truck damaged in a Thursday afternoon collision that, nonetheless, caused only minor injuries at the intersection of M-28 and M-123.

According to a statement from the Chippewa County Sheriff's Department, the Cloverland truck on M-123 pulled into the path of the ambulance at the M-28 intersection and was struck by the ambulance. The force of the collision detached the left-front wheel and A-frame from the ambulance undercarriage, forcing the ambulance off the road, through a stop sign and into a utility pole.

The two City Fire Department paramedics aboard the ambulance at the time of the crash received relatively minor injuries. A 92-year-old woman being transported by the ambulance at the time of the crash received only minor injuries.

Sault Ste. Marie Fire Chief Ken Eagle said the ambulance crew was fully belted in, as was the elderly woman. One of the two paramedics received knee injuries from the crash, the other received bruising from the seat in the passenger compartment, he said.

The ambulance did not fare so well, he said. The newest ambulance in the city's fleet, the damaged vehicle was declared a total loss. The extent of damage to the utility truck was not immediately available.

The driver of the Cloverland utility truck also received minor injuries.

All involved were transported to War Memorial Hospital for treatment, the statement said.

The collision remains under investigation by Sheriff's deputies and Michigan State Police, the statement says.


http://www.sooeveningnews.com/articl...ws/news480.txt


I love the Soo area. I vacation a lot up there.

[scannerman5000]

thats one way to "break" in a new ambulance. lol

[denseglow]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[Firetxmi]

Man, you should see the ambulance in person. It is messed up. Last I saw it the front axle had snapped in half and the wheel and half the axle were sitting next to the ambulance. The windshield is all cracked. Sad too see a new ambulance in that shape. Glad everyone seemed to be ok though.

[Jay911]

Those guys are outrageously lucky. Apparently SSM EMS has a good policy in place to mandate their medics are belted in at all times, even during transports - or else the crew has a good pair of brains between them. In any case, I can imagine what the ambulance must look like - I've seen a number in person, including one that my VFD rehabilitated into a FD rescue vehicle with some serious refurb work.

A couple months ago, one was flipped on its side here after being struck by a Ford Focus. A Focus, people, turned over an E-450 type III mod. This is abundant proof of why you need to be belted in.

I recall seeing another one from the States last year that involved a unit that hit/was hit by a semi hauling lumber. The mod body came completely apart, and the treating medic was ejected through the opening (IIRC). Those of you who are working medics, use the seat belts you're provided. You CAN treat the patient while belted in. I've done it. Better that, than die transporting a 92 year old lady to her CT scan appointment.