Calif. ambulance collides with vehicle making U-turn

The ambulance had its lights and sirens activated when an SUV pulled a U-turn in the ambulance’s path

February 10, 2017 12:16 PM

By Joe Goldeen
The Record

VALLEY SPRINGS, Calif. — During Tuesday morning’s rainstorm, an ambulance on an emergency run crashed into two vehicles on Highway 12 after one attempted to make a U-turn right in front of the ambulance with its lights and sirens on, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The 2010 Ford ambulance, driven by Samantha Lewis, 24, of Lodi was heading eastbound on the two-lane highway through the Valley Springs area west of Central Hill Road about 8:28 a.m. when Lewis pulled into the westbound lane — lights and siren activated — to pass traffic that was stopped for a previous collision involving a pickup running into a downed tree across the roadway, according to the CHP.

As Lewis drove by the stopped cars, a 2014 Buick Enclave driven by David Andres, 61, of Valley Springs pulled out of the line to start a U-turn, directly in the path of the ambulance. Lewis was unable to avoid hitting the Buick, according to the report.

The crash impact disabled the ambulance steering, and Lewis was unable to maintain control. The ambulance continued traveling eastbound until it crashed into the left side of a 2005 Nissan Quest — driven by Alexandro Barragan, 18, of Valley Springs — that had been stopped in the line of traffic, the CHP reported.

No injuries were reported in this incident.

The previous crash that had stopped the traffic occurred about 8:11 a.m. and involved a tree that had just fallen across the highway and a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Johnny Hoskins, 41, of Burson.

Hoskins had been traveling about 45 mph eastbound on Highway 12 with two 15-year-old passengers when he saw the tree falling. He braked but was unable to avoid the collision. He suffered pain to his right ankle and was transported to Mark Twain Medical Center in San Andreas for treatment of minor injuries, according to the report.

Neither teenage passenger was injured.

The highway was closed in both directions for approximately 45 minutes until all the vehicles involved and the tree could be removed, the report stated.