A 70-year-old man is facing charges after troopers say his SUV crossed the center line and slammed head-on into an ambulance on New Highway 68 near Madisonville, Tennessee, rolling the emergency vehicle onto its side and leaving five people injured, including the patient being transported inside.
Chevy Equinox Crossed Into Oncoming Lane, Troopers Say
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Randell Bridge was driving a Chevy Equinox northbound on New Highway 68 around 12:06 p.m. on Tuesday when he crossed the center line into the southbound lane and crashed head-on into an ambulance. The ambulance rolled onto its side, per the same report cited by WVLT. Troopers charged Bridge with driving on roadways laned for travel and due care, though they said no additional information was being released.
The ambulance was transporting a patient to an area hospital at the time of the crash, according to Monroe County EMS, as reported by WATE. That outlet placed the crash in the area of New Highway 68 and Toomey Lane, while Local 3 News described the location as New Highway 68 and Hillcrest.
Five Hurt, Including Patient Inside the Ambulance
Five people were injured in the crash, among them three EMS clinicians and the patient who was riding inside the ambulance. WATE's report put the number at five people taken to area hospitals with differing degrees of injury. Local 3 News, citing Monroe County EMS's public information officer, reported that the three EMS providers and the patient inside the ambulance sustained what was described as minor injuries.
The cause of the crash remained unknown at the time Monroe County EMS addressed the incident, WATE's report noted.
Highway Shut Down for Hours
The crash shut down New Highway 68 for hours. Madisonville Police said officers were on the scene of the two-vehicle crash by 1:20 p.m. and had requested that the Tennessee Highway Patrol assist with the investigation, per the same WATE account. The area was expected to remain closed for several hours as crews worked the scene.
