By Clarence Fanto
The Berkshire Eagle
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — A Cheshire motorist who collided with the Lenox town ambulance on May 19 is on “informal probation” following a show-cause hearing at Southern Berkshire District Court this week.
A criminal charge against Matthew Bak, 20, has been continued for six months, said Lenox Police Chief Stephen E. O’Brien, “because of his complete honesty and continued remorse over the incident, and his concern over the well-being of those injured.”
Bak has been charged with driving to endanger the lives and safety of others, which is a misdemeanor.
That charge will be dismissed if Bak is not charged with another criminal offense during the six month period, O’Brien said. Bak was also fined $100 for a marked lanes violation, which is a civil infraction.
Meanwhile, Lifeline Ambulance, the Iowa-based manufacturer of the damaged town ambulance, has shipped a loaner to the town, which is now in service, said Town Manager Gregory Federspiel. Repairs are expected to be completed in 3 to 4 months. County Ambulance had provided a stand-by ambulance to the town for 12 hours a day until the loaner was received.
According to police, Bak fell asleep at the wheel of his 1997 Chevrolet pickup at 5:30 a.m. on May 19, crossed the center line on Main Street near the Church on the Hill, and collided with the ambulance.
Both vehicles received extensive damage, and four people suffered minor injuries, including the ambulance driver, a firefighter-EMT and a senior citizen who was being transported to Berkshire Medical Center. All three, as well as Bak, were treated and released from BMC following the accident.
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