In Sweetwater on this Monday morning, around 5:45, an ambulance was hit from behind by a vehicle.
We spoke to the Fire Chief about what happened and about the safety measures that people need to take in order for emergency vehicles to get to where they’re going as quickly as possible.
“So it happened because he didn’t move into the other lane over,” said Sweetwater Fire Chief Tad Baird. “So, you know, it brings up a great point for people traveling on the roads that if there’s a vehicle, emergency vehicle on the side of the road with their lights on, whether it be police, fire, EMS, even a tow truck that, you know, drivers move over one lane, it’s safe to do so.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety stated that the driver who hit the ambulance was issued two tickets.
Most of the debris at the scene on the highway has been cleaned up, but the Sweetwater Fire Chief said it has been a while since something like this has occurred in the area.
“This is our second incident that’s happened in the last I don’t know, maybe ten years,” said Baird. “So not often around here, but we do have a lot of close calls. A lot of people don’t necessarily move over when we’re on the side of the road, so it’s a very dangerous place to be.”
Slowing down and pulling over to the side of the road is key, but why is it such a problem?
“I think maybe, you know, people, traveling just might be distracted or just maybe not aware that moving over, creating that buffer is, you know, could be the difference between life and death for, for our responders,” said Baird.
If an accident like this happens, how does it affect the response time?
“We would have to call in an additional ambulance, to respond to the original call by our crews are now dealing with things,” said Baird.
