Wednesday, May 15, 2013  NORFOLK-Several cars in the Ghent section of Norfolk were damaged when an ambulance crashed into them.

Just after 11:00 p.m. Tuesday, a man got into the private ambulance that was parked at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and drove off, police said.

Police say the man, who appeared to be intoxicated, drove down Colley Avenue, crossed the median and crashed near the intersection with Westover Avenue. He got of the vehicle and ran off.

Carly Decerce’s roommate's car was one of five vehicle that were damaged. She was inside their apartment when she heard a really loud crash.

“I thought it was a bomb or something,” Decerce described.

Police caught him a short time later.

Alison Stempel saw the crash.

“I’m surprised the driver was able to run away,” she said.

The crash also destroyed lamp post. taking down and demolishing a lamp-post Police said information about charges would be released Wednesday. 

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Wednesday, May 15, 2013  by Crystal Cruz

Bio | Email | Follow: @CrystalCruz3TV

PHOENIX -- Each phone call to the Phoenix Fire Department is different and some calls are more dangerous than others.

Phoenix firefighter Bobby Priest was caught in a frightening situation recently when a patient tried to hurt him.

"He reached back with the knife.  It was coming right towards me," said Priest.

The knife was heading straight towards Priest's face.

According to officials with the Phoenix Fire Dept., the patient that almost stabbed the firefighter was mostly likely mentally ill.

"I grabbed his hand and was able to wrestle it away from him," described Priest.

Assaults on firefighters are happening more than we know about.

In April, a Georgia man held several fire fighters hostage and he was eventually killed by police. According to CNN, that man was in financial distress.

Capt. Larry Nunez of the Phoenix Fire Dept. tells 3TV just recently another mentally unstable man pulled a gun on a firefighter.

"Obviously that gun was pointed at somebody's chest and all he had to do was pull the trigger and things would've been very different," said Nunez.

Phoenix firefighters are unarmed and aren't trained in defensive tactics.

Instead crews rely on their gut feelings about a situation.

"We are seeing more of these assaults now because obviously the population is greater and we're dealing with more mental health issues out in the city," said Capt. Nunez.

As for firefighter Priest, he's been on the job a little more than a year and already has one interesting story to tell.

"I’ll probably think more differently about being more aware and what people have in their pockets," said Priest.

It’s unclear just how many assaults have happened in the past year in Phoenix as many go unreported.

Nunez said this happens because firefighters are there to help the safety of the surroundings.

3TV reached out to several fire departments around the Valley and at the time this report was completed, a spokesperson with the Mesa Fire Dept. told 3TV one of their firefighters was assaulted last month. 

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Tuesday, May 14, 2013  KOLKATA: A patient and the driver of an ambulance were killed on the spot after the vehicle collided head-on with a bus on EM Bypass on Sunday evening. The patient's daughter has sustained serious injuries.

Sources said that Subhash Basu of Subhashgram in South 24-Parganas was being taken to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital after he complained of breathing trouble. The ambulance had just crossed Dhalai Bridge near Garia Metro station when it rammed into a bus on route 45B around 7pm. 

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Sunday, May 12, 2013  A car and an ambulance crashed at the Boundary Road and Chatham Street junction in Ramsgate this morning.  The accident happened at 4:15 a.m.  One man was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

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Sunday, May 12, 2013  A paramedic on an emergency run was among those hurt in a crash between an ambulance and a car. It happened a little before noon Monday at the corner of Alexis and Lewis

Investigators say the ambulance had its lights and sirens on and was making its way around stopped traffic to turn from Lewis to Alexis.

We're told one driver apparently didn't see or hear the ambulance and drove into its passenger side.

The driver of the car and a paramedic in the ambulance were treated for minor injuries.

The crash slowed traffic for some time in the area.

The driver of the car was cited. 

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Friday, May 10, 2013  A man being treated for a heroin overdose allegedly assaulted the paramedic trying to save him with a used needle, city police said.

At 2:50 p.m. Thursday, Troy police and firefighters responded to a call of an unresponsive man in the Hannaford parking lot on 126th St. They discovered Joel Burgess of Mechanicville, who was unresponsive and was loaded into an ambulance, Troy Capt. Dan DeWolf said.

Burgess was in the back of an ambulance heading to a Troy hospital when he was given a drug to help save his life from the overdose.

Revived, he stabbed the paramedic treating him in the hand with a dirty needle or lancet, DeWolf said.

Burgess and the paramedic were both transported to Samaritan Hospital for treatment. Burgess ran off as he was being treated at the hospital. Police searched the area and he was later apprehended by a Rensselaer County sheriff's deputy in Schaghticoke, DeWolf said.

Burgess was taken to the Troy police station where he was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument, assault and obstructing emergency medical services.

The paramedic must undergo a drug regimen to be treated in case Burgess is HIV positive or has any other disease transmittable by blood.

swaldman@timesunion.com • 518-454-5080 • @518Schools

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Friday, May 10, 2013  A MOTORIST died and four people were hurt after a car collided with an ambulance for the disabled.

The fatal crash happened on the A706 near Bathgate, West Lothian, yesterday afternoon.

The car and private Handicabs ambulance collided near the Pottishaw Fishery.

The driver of the car was killed but it remains unclear which of the vehicles the injured were travelling in.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Road Policing Officers responded to the road between the Bathgate and Whitburn roundabouts, near the Pottishaw Fishery, following a serious road collision.

“The incident, which involved an ambulance and a car, resulted in the road being closed while emergency services attended.

“The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene and enquiries are ongoing into the full circumstances surrounding this collision.

“Anyone with information that can assist police with their investigation is asked to come forward immediately.”

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We were called out to attend the accident which involved a Handicabs bus. We transported four patients.

“Two patients where taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and two where taken to Wishaw General Hospital. ”

“We were called out to attend the accident which involved a handicap bus. We transported four patients.

“Two patients where taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and two where taken to Wishaw General Hospital. ”

No-one was available for comment from Handicabs.

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Friday, May 10, 2013  KINGFISHER, Oklahoma -The National Transportation Safety Board has found issues with the medical condition of the pilot of a medical helicopter that crashed in 2010 near Kingfisher.

The helicopter, a Eurocopter AS 350 B2 operated by EagleMed LLC, crashed at about 8 p.m. on July 22, 2010 while on a flight from Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City to pick up a patient in Okeene.

Pilot Al Harrison and nurse Ryan Duke were killed in the crash. Paramedic Michael Eccard survived.


As expected, the NTSB's newly-released Factual Report contains no conclusions about the crash. However, it does contain two findings that will likely figure prominently when the NTSB eventually releases its Probable Cause Report on the incident.


First, the Factual Report indicates the chopper impacted trees while the pilot was imitating another pilot's attempt to chase coyotes.

The surviving paramedic told investigators that during the flight he had noticed one of the aircraft's doors was ajar. He informed the pilot that he was leaving his seat to close the door. After securing the door and returning to his seat, the crew began discussing another pilot flying on a coyote hunt. The paramedic reported that the pilot made a statement similar to "like this... (with some laughter)" and then the pilot tilted the helicopter's nose down.

The paramedic told investigators the pilot then "pulled up on the collective" and the helicopter struck a tree. The helicopter then struck the ground and the paramedic, who was not secured in his seat, was thrown through the windscreen. He crawled away from the wreckage and used his cell phone to call 911.

Second, the NTSB says the pilot was being treated for several medical problems, none of which he had reported to the FAA. The NTSB says he had several prescription drugs in his system at the time of his death. 

According to the report, the pilot had been prescribed multiple medications since at least 2007, when he reported to his personal physician that he had bronchitis, hypertension and sleep apnea. The NTSB says he was also being treated for restless leg syndrome and pain.

The NTSB says the pilot reported to his personal physician that he was experiencing more pain and the doctor prescribed stronger pain medications, including prescription narcotics and benzodiasepines.

The NTSB says the pilot had been prescribed the following in February 2010:

• Caduet (hypertension)
• Omeprazole (gastroesophageal reflux)
• Meloxicam (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory)
• Lunesta (sleep aid)
• Norco (hydrocodone/acetaminophen)
• Baclofen (muscle relaxant)
• Valium (diazepam, a benzodiazepine)

According to the toxicology report, the pilot had numerous prescription drugs and an over-the-counter medication in his system, including:

• Acetaminophen
• Chlorpheniramine (antihistamine)
• Diazepam
• Dihydrocodeine
• Hydrocodone
• Temazepam (insomnia)

According to the report, the pilot was never treated for his sleep apnea. The NTSB says the pilot had not reported any of his conditions and prescription medications to the FAA.

The Factual Report is the NTSB's second of three reports on the crash. The final one, called the Probable Cause Report, could take months or even years to be issued.

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Friday, May 10, 2013   By Ebony Horton

An ambulance was involved in a crash in Ozark on Monday afternoon.

The ambulance, from Pilcher's in Dothan, was driving southbound on U.S. 231 near Dale County Road 108, when the driver lost control of the ambulance, which veered off the road and crashed.

No injuries were reported.

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Friday, May 10, 2013  What began as a routine medical call at a Hannaford parking lot in Troy soon turned into a scary situation according to Troy Fire Chief Tom Garett.

“Upon arrival we had an individual who had taken a heroin overdose, firefighters who are also trained as paramedics were able to get him inside of an ambulance and treat the man with a narcan which reverses the heroin overdose,” said Garett. “They were successful, but he became combative. He stabbed one of our paramedics with a needle or lancet.”

According to police, that object was tainted with the blood of Joel Burgess, 32, of Mechanicville. He is charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the seventh-degree, Criminally Possessing a Hypodermic Instrument, Assault in the second-degree, and Obstructing Emergency Medical Services.

Chief Garrett says the man tore his IV out and ran out of the hospital before doctors could test him to see if he was HIV positive, he will now be given those tests.

The fire chief says the worst case scenario is the paramedic could test to be HIV positive after this incident.

“He's married, got family. He’s concerned,” said Garrett. The chief is hoping the medication the firefighter is taking can prevent any infection from setting in.

And with this incident, the risks associated with being an EMT or firefighter is truly highlighted.

Debbie Lamerts, head EMT in Castleton, says they had a similar situation where a patient reacted violently to their crew on a call and she says it's all about being trained to be ready for anything.

Lamerts says even though the job comes with its risks, she urges anyone interested in getting into the field to still pursue it. 

"Don't be afraid. It's one of the best most rewarding professions. It just takes one person to say ‘thank you’ to make it all worthwhile. There is nothing else quite as rewarding,” said Lamerts.

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Wednesday, May 8, 2013  Town of Chenango, NY (WBNG Binghamton) The Broome County Sheriff's Office is investigating a car and ambulance accident.

According to the sheriff's office, the accident happened just after 2 p.m. Sunday in front of the Weis Plaza on Upper Front Street.

The sheriff's office says Heather Wiggins, 37, of the town of Chenango, pulled out of the Weis Plaza in front of a town of Chenango ambulance.

The ambulance was traveling north on Upper Front Street en route to an emergency medical call in Port Crane.

Wiggins' car was struck in the driver's side.

Wiggins spun out of control, headed across Front Street and into an embankment.

Wiggins was pinned in her car. Crews eventually freed her, although she sustained injuries to her leg, hip and face.

According to the sheriff's office, her airbag did go off and may have saved her life.

Meanwhile, the Town of Chenango ambulance was also severely damaged.

Wiggins has been issued a ticket for failure to comply with an emergency vehicle.

The accident caused an hour long traffic delay.

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Wednesday, May 8, 2013   By Maxine Waxel

LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Ala. — Folks in Lauderdale County will soon have a new ambulance provider




Shoals Ambulance Service will take over coverage for all areas in Lauderdale County, including the city of Florence, at midnight.

Both the city and county accepted a bid to adopt their services earlier this year.

The switch ends Lauderdale County's partnership with LEMS.

Not only is CEO Bryan Gibson ensuring the best services to the community; he's taking the extra step to help protect his employees on the job - requiring them to wear helmets.

"The back of an ambulance is an unsafe place. We're driving high rates of speed through red lights and stop signs," said Gibson. "Hopefully they stop and they should, but things happen and sometimes people don't see us and we get hit."

SAS is one of the first departments in the country to require their employees to wear helmets while responding to emergencies.

Gibson said employee safety is crucial when serving the community.

"We wanted to focus on making sure that the paramedics and EMTs are getting home at night," he said.

Blake Hargett has served as a paramedic for more than 30 years. He said he is 100 percent behind the new policy.

"It's the first time we've had the technology to get into a wreck scene or to other violent situations where we have protection with our head," said Hargett.

The helmets also include an adjustable face shield to help protect responders from blood and other bodily fluids they come into contact with.

"It's a professionalism too. We feel more professional, nice uniform, nice helmets," Hargett said. "We feel more comfortable, more involved, more professional - like the police or the fire department."

Ambulance officials said the use of helmets is a growing trend across the country.

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Wednesday, May 8, 2013   By Elwyn Roberts
Daily Post

CAERGWRLE, UK — A drunk joy rider who drove off in an ambulance - while the driver was on an emergency call saving a man's life — has been jailed.

John Heesom, 23 — who had downed nine pints of lager and some shots — was told that his actions had potentially put the lives of other people at risk. As a result of his actions, the rapid response vehicle, which was in full ambulance livery, was written off and vital life-saving equipment and drugs had to be destroyed, leaving the Wales Ambulance Trust with a £5,700 compensation bill.

Heesom, of ye Old Talbot Inn at Cymau between Mold and Wrexham, was jailed for eight months and banned from driving for two years by Judge Rhys Rowlands, sitting at Mold Crown Court yesterday.

"You took an ambulance rapid response vehicle. After you lost control and damaged it, your first reaction was to try and set it alight."

Judge Rowlands said such vehicles carried out a "crucially important task" in the community. The defendant's actions had prevented it being used again that night and prevented the paramedic from continuing with his duties: "That put people's lives at risk," he added.

Emmalyne Downing, prosecuting, said Heesom was walking home when he noticed the Ford Focus estate car in full ambulance service livery parked with its ignition keys still inside.

The driver had been called to an ill man's house, had rushed in with a defibrillator and drugs and had called out an ambulance crew to take the patient to hospital. But when the ambulance crew arrived, the rapid response vehicle had disappeared from outside the house at the village of Caergwrle in Flintshire. Heesom jumped in and drove off — but hit a kerb and then drove on the rim of one of the wheels as the tyre disintegrated.

Heesom admitted aggravated vehicle taking, drink driving and a driving licence offence after he took the vehicle from Hope Street in Caergwrle in the early hours of Sunday, February 24.

He was found to have an breath alcohol reading of 60 microgrammes, compared to the legal limit of 35, and told police how he had been drinking in Hope and Caergwrle and had about nine pints of lager and some shots.

Heesom claimed that he had not realised that it was an ambulance vehicle but the judge said that he did not accept that.

Oliver King, defending, stressed that his client was a young man of no previous convictions, who was embarrassed and ashamed.He had been shunned in the small community in which he lived, and was full of remorse.

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Sunday, May 5, 2013 

The ambulance crew had picked up the patient in Whiteabbey
Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories

• Two paramedics attacked in a week

A paramedic has been bitten by a patient he was treating.

The crew was called to Shore Road, Whiteabbey, on Wednesday night for a man who had cuts to the face.

When they arrived at the scene, the patient, who seemed very drunk, began verbally and physically abusing the crew, striking out at them both.

They called the police and while they were waiting for them to arrive, the patient continued with his assault, biting one paramedic on the hand.

The paramedic had to be treated at Antrim Area Hospital for his wound.

A man was arrested at the scene.

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Sunday, May 5, 2013   By Kyle Barnett

GRETNA – A Jefferson Parish man is suing a local hospital alleging one of its ambulances rear-ended his car.

Gerald Jones filed suit against Jefferson Parish Hospital District No. 1, West Jefferson Medical Center and Maressa Aparicio in the 24th Judicial District Court.

Jones claims that Aparicio was driving an ambulance owned by West Jefferson Medical Center when she ran into the rear of his car. The plaintiff alleges that because the defendant driver was working for the hospital at the time of the accident it should be responsible for any damages. Jones asserts that he has head, shoulder, neck and back pain stemming from the accident.

The defendant is accused of failing to see what should have been seen, failing to keep a proper lookout, failing to maintain control of vehicle, failing to apply brakes properly to stop it before colliding into the plaintiff’s vehicle and failing to maintain and inspect her vehicle.

An unspecified amount in damages is sought for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, mental anguish, property damage, loss of use and lost wages.

Jones is represented by attorney Richard V. Kohnke of New Orleans.

The case has been assigned to Division O Judge Ross P. LaDart.

Case no. 724-24

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