By Robert Napper
Bradenton Herald
Copyright 2007 The Bradenton Herald

BRADENTON, Fla. — A county ambulance on an emergency run swerved to avoid a pickup on a highway north of Palmetto and overturned, injuring both a paramedic and an EMT.

No other cars or people were involved in the accident just before 3 p.m. on U.S. 19-41. Both people in the ambulance were transported to Manatee Memorial Hospital, said Capt. Larry Leinhauser of county public safety at the scene.

Leinhauser said he was told a pickup "cut off" the ambulance as the two vehicles came down from an overpass on U.S. 19-41, right before the two highways diverge with 19 going to the Sunshine Skyway and 41 going to Port Manatee.

"To avoid a collision, the ambulance swerved," Leinhauser said.

At 3:45 p.m., the ambulance lay on its driver's side just off the roadways of U.S. 19-41. Traffic temporarily was slowed going past the unusual scene, but then traffic northbound was freed to resume normal speeds.

The stricken ambulance was en route to a residence in Palmetto Point subdivision for a "respiratory emergency," Leinhauser said.

There was no word of the injuries to the paramedic and the EMT.