By Emily Monacelli
The Elkhart Truth
ELKHART, Ind. — An Elkhart Fire Department lieutenant received a three-day unpaid suspension and his driver received a written warning after he did not stop the ambulance they were in after hitting a truck.
Lt. Bill Sullivan and driver Amado Tanguma were en route to a medical call March 15 when their ambulance struck a truck that was stopped at Main Street and Beardsley Avenue around 3 p.m., Assistant Fire Chief Shaun Edgerton told the Elkhart Board of Public Safety Tuesday. The ambulance was driving through the busy intersection when another car backed out of a driveway. Tanguma swerved to avoid hitting that car and instead clipped a pickup truck. Tanguma continued on to the medical call on Sullivan’s orders, but he did ask Sullivan if they should stop, Edgerton said.
Compton determined the fault rested more on Sullivan, who ordered Tanguma not to stop, than on the driver himself. Leaving the scene of a crash is illegal and violated departmental policy.
Sullivan is being charged with misconduct.
Tanguma and Sullivan took care of the patient who was having trouble breathing, then called for another ambulance to take him to the hospital.
Republished with permission from The Elkhart Truth