A tragic collision on New Year's Day has left a woman dead and two New Castle County paramedics hospitalized. According to a report by FOX29, the accident occurred around 2:33 a.m. on I-95 southbound at the I-495 split, involving a 2024 Ford F-350 New Castle County paramedic vehicle.
The paramedics were responding to an unrelated accident when the emergency lights were activated and a lane change was initiated to approach the incident. This action preceded the collision with a 2013 Nissan Altima, driven by 33-year-old Kierra West, who was pronounced dead at the scene. A six-year-old passenger from the Altima sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Nemours Children’s Hospital, as reported by NBC Philadelphia.
Following the crash, the interstate was promptly closed, with traffic diverted as emergency services attended the scene. CBS News Philadelphia confirmed the road was reopened by 9:30 a.m. with New Castle County police informing via social media.
New Castle County's Emergency Medical Services Division stated in a release that the paramedics injured are in stable condition. The New Castle County Division of Police Traffic Services Unit is currently investigating the accident and has encouraged witnesses with any information to contact Detective Kevin Maloney. The collision has raised concerns about the perils faced by first responders navigating amidst traffic to emergencies.
