A Polk County Fire Rescue ambulance responding to an emergency call collided with a dump truck and a sedan Saturday morning at the intersection of Bayberry Street and Marigold Avenue in Poinciana, sending four people to area hospitals. The crash happened around 11:26 a.m., and paramedics transported two of their own crew members along with one occupant from each of the other two vehicles for medical care. Traffic backups remained around the intersection before all lanes reopened.
According to Tampa Free Press, the ambulance had its emergency lights and sirens activated at the time of the collision, and officials advised drivers to seek alternate routes while crews worked the scene. The Polk County Sheriff's Office has launched an investigation into what caused the three-way collision. Additional reporting from FOX 13 Tampa Bay identified the two other vehicles involved as a dump truck and a sedan, with deputies conducting their crash investigation as traffic slowly cleared.
A Corridor With a Documented History of Crashes
Marigold Avenue is no stranger to serious collisions. A 2020 Florida Department of Transportation study documented 107 crashes along a 1.75-mile stretch of the road in Poinciana between 2012 and 2019, 70 of which caused injuries to 149 people, as Hoodline reported in its coverage of the resulting $9.5 million roundabout project. Osceola County broke ground on that project in January 2026, building three single-lane roundabouts at key Marigold Avenue intersections specifically to slow corridor traffic and reduce high-speed and angle collisions.
The danger extends beyond this one stretch of road. The Polk Transportation Planning Organization's August 2023 Vision Zero Assessment identified the nearby intersection of Cypress Parkway and Marigold Avenue as the highest-injury intersection in Polk County. That same assessment found Polk County experiences an average of two traffic deaths and seven serious injuries every week, a grim trend the assessment tied to major arterial corridors throughout Poinciana.
What Florida Law Requires — and What It Doesn't Excuse
Under Florida Statute § 316.126, drivers are legally required to yield the right-of-way to approaching emergency vehicles displaying active lights and sirens, pulling over parallel to the nearest edge or curb and remaining stopped until the vehicle passes, according to Meldon Law. Drivers who fail to yield can face moving violation fines and potential legal liability. But the same statute cuts both ways: while it allows emergency vehicles to proceed through red lights or exceed posted speed limits while responding to calls, it also mandates that emergency operators proceed with due regard for the safety of all road users, a standard investigators will weigh as they examine what happened at Bayberry and Marigold.
National data suggests driver error is the more common factor in these collisions. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study analyzing ground ambulance crash data from 2012 to 2018 found that 73.7% of non-ambulance drivers involved in collisions with emergency vehicles committed driving errors, primarily failing to maintain situational awareness or yield right-of-way, according to research cited by USFA/FEMA. That same research found that 28% of analyzed ambulance crashes occurred while lights and sirens were activated.
Paramedics Face Real Risk Behind the Wheel
The injuries to Saturday's ambulance crew reflect a broader pattern nationally. NHTSA data estimates an average of 1,500 ground ambulance crashes resulting in injuries occur annually across the United States, with 46% of those injured being occupants inside the ambulance itself, according to the HMP Global Learning Network. Ground ambulances also average 29 fatal crashes nationwide each year, the same data shows.
Polk County Fire Rescue operates more than 45 fire and rescue stations across a 2,000-square-mile service area, per the Polk County Government. The agency handles emergency medical transports. WKMG ClickOrlando has reported that PCFR emergency vehicles have been involved in several major collisions in recent years.
Saturday's collision occurred in this stretch of Poinciana. The Polk County Sheriff's Office investigation into Saturday's crash remains active as officials work to determine exactly what happened at the intersection.
