Three people were hospitalized after a collision involving a semi-truck and a Chicago Fire Department ambulance that also impacted two sedans on Chicago's South Side in the West Englewood neighborhood. The incident transpired just before 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, as reported by CBS News Chicago. A 54-year-old semi-truck driver, traveling northbound on Ashland Avenue, struck the ambulance which subsequently overturned and collided with two sedans at the intersection near the 6300 block of South Ashland Avenue.
According to Chicago police, given in a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, it wasn't clear whether the ambulance was operating with its lights and sirens activated at the time of the crash. The semi-truck's impact caused the ambulance, carrying a 64-year-old man, to flip over and strike two sedans on 63rd Street. The first sedan held a 31-year-old driver with a 59-year-old passenger, and the other was driven by a 58-year-old woman. Operating the ambulance was a driver whose age had not been disclosed.
The passenger in the ambulance was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, presenting with minor injuries. "The 59-year-old passenger in the first sedan was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in fair condition with minor injuries," CBS News Chicago details. The driver of the second sedan suffered an injury to her left arm and was subsequently taken to St. Bernard Hospital, also in good condition as per the same source. The driver of the first sedan, a 31-year-old, refused medical treatment at the scene.
Remarkably, the semi-truck driver did not report any injuries following the collision. However, the driver was cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, an error that arguably set off the multi-vehicle misfortune. Emergency responders at the scene and hospital staff worked swiftly to assess and manage the aftermath of this regrettable sequence of events.
