By Ben Deci
Fox40
CARMICHAEL, Calif. — A sheriff’s deputy and two paramedics are recovering from a violent crash in Carmichael Sunday afternoon.
They were in two different emergency vehicles, going to two separate calls. When they collided, the impact was so severe it knocked the ambulance over and sent it skidding off the road in a shower of debris.
The intersection of Winding Way and Garfield was partially closed for hours.
According to reports, when the ambulance and the sheriff’s deputy collided at the intersection, they were both running “Code 3.” That means they each had their lights on and their sirens blaring. But the racket of they made racing down the road can’t compare to what happened next.
“I’ve lived on this corner for a long time and I’ve heard a lot of accidents and this was probably one of the most severe ones I’ve ever heard,” he said.
After he heard the crash, Arino went running out of his house to see if there was anyone who needed help. There was. He says the ambulance, which had come to rest on its side in one homeowner’s backyard, was “belching smoke.”
“I saw the paramedic rattling around back there and I helped them open the door, held it open, and they scrambled out,” he said.
Arino says they immediately went to help the sheriff’s deputy, who was trapped inside his car. The deputy was conscious and speaking before he was taken to the hospital. One of the paramedics also went to the hospital to get checked out.
“Nothing seems life threatening. We had some facial injuries to the deputy,” said California Highway Petrol Sgt. David Ricks.
At last check that deputy was undergoing surgery for broken bones in his face.
The injured deputy’s name has not yet been released, but he’s described as a 13 year veteran of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.
No other cars or pedestrians were involved in the accident.
Republished with permission from Fox40