POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Four people were injured in a crash between an ambulance and a pickup truck at the intersection of U.S. 27 and State Road 544 near Winter Haven, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the ambulance, which was transporting a patient from Haines City to Winter Haven Hospital, was heading west on SR 544 around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 8 when its driver looked both ways and entered the intersection. When the ambulance entered the intersection, it was struck by a Ford pickup pulling a trailer that was traveling at a high speed, FOX 35 reported.
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Three people, two medics and a patient were inside the ambulance at the time of the crash, authorities said. All three were taken to hospitals. The patient was thrown from his seat and suffered significant injuries, and the medic riding in the back is in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s office.
The medic driving the ambulance has since been released from the hospital, and the pickup truck driver was also hospitalized but is expected to fully recover, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said the ambulance’s emergency lights were activated at the time of the collision.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
