this story was very tragic, i think it should be investigated why
there were no stop signs for cross traffic - here in nj there are
no "uncontrolled" intersections - other then circles - all
intersections have to have at least a stop sign to control traffic

back when i was working the ambulance we had one of our rigs
totalled - luckily neither of our EMTs was seriously injured. our
rig was stopped at a stop sign heading back from the hospital 2 towns
over from us - it was winter and we had recently had a bad storm so
the roads were still slick and there were 3-8 foot snow banking on
the side of the roads - someone coming the opposite way was going way
too fast an then slammed thier brakes - they slid thru the
intersection hit the drives front fender full speed and then skidded
downt he side of the rig - shoving the rig sideways into a 4 foot
snow bank - lucily there was no one in the back of the rig - only the
driver and other emt in the front passanger seat - the passanger got
a concusion from the windshield - both ended up crawling out the
passanegr door window because neither could fit thrut he pass thru to
the back door - they then went around the back grabbed the backboard
and package the drive of the car who was ejected thru thier hatchback
and had him packaged and ready for the responding ambulance crew -
then being the stubborn EMT's they were both tried to refuse
treatment for themselves - which did not last long after they tried
to call us for a ride back to the station and we told them we would
not come get them until the hosptial cleared them...

--- In emsfirepoliceptsd@yahoogroups.com, "Bill G" <magiclt@...>
wrote:
>
>
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/21/national/printable3085151.sh
> tml
>
>
> Ohio Ambulance Crash Kills 5
>
> VAN WERT, Ohio, July 21, 2007
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ------
> ----
> (AP) An ambulance headed to a hospital was broadsided by a
> semitrailer at a
> rural intersection and caught fire Friday night, killing three
> emergency
> medical technicians and two patients, the State Highway Patrol said.
>
> The patients were being treated for injuries from an earlier car
> wreck when
> their ambulance was struck in Crane Township, about 65 miles
> southwest of
> Toledo.
>
> A fourth Antwerp Emergency Medical Services worker, Matt McDougall,
> 31, of
> Antwerp, and the driver of the semitrailer, Gerald Chapman Jr., 54,
of
> Bryant, Ind., were taken to a hospital for treatment, the patrol
> said. Their
> conditions were not immediately available.
>
> The crash remained under investigation. The ambulance was traveling
> south on
> a county road that had stop signs posted for north-south traffic,
said
> patrol Lt. Shawn Davis. No stop signs were posted for the
semitrailer
> heading east, Davis said.
>
> Authorities have not said whether the ambulance's emergency sirens
and
> lights were turned on.
>
> "It's very sad. Very tragic," Antwerp Village Council President
Ronald
> Farnsworth told The (Toledo) Blade. "Right now, we need all the
> prayers we
> can get. Right now we're grieving."
>
> Several dozen fire and emergency workers gathered at the village's
> fire hall
> with a pastor Friday night.
>
> "They aren't in very good shape right now," Farnsworth said. The
> village
> planned to arrange for counseling, he said.
>
> Killed in the accident were EMS workers Sammy Smith, 64; Heidi
> McDougall,
> 31; and Kelly Rager, 25. All were from Antwerp.
>
> The patients killed were identified as Robert Wells, 64, and
Armelda
> Wells,
> 60, both of Hicksville.
>