By Laura French
PRAIRIEVILLE, La. — A paramedic was injured and another motorist was charged with DWI following an ambulance crash in Louisiana on New Year’s Day.
Officials say the Acadian Ambulance rig was transporting a patient to the hospital and traveling at about 60 to 70 miles per hour when a vehicle going an estimated 100 miles per hour struck it from behind, according to WBRZ.
The patient was not seriously injured in the crash, and one paramedic sustained minor injuries. Acadian Ambulance Operations Manager Justin Cox credited safeguards in the ambulance’s design for preventing more serious injuries.
The other driver, Louis Long III, was arrested by state troopers following the crash, and charged with second-offense DWI, following too closely and driving without a license. According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, Long was given a breath alcohol test at the jail and blew a .131; the legal driving limit in Louisiana is .08.
Long was released from custody and is ordered to appear in court on March 2.