By Peter Smith
The Courier-Journal
Copyright 2008 The Courier-Journal
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An ambulance crashed into a building on Broadway last night after colliding with a car that turned in front of it, sending four people — including the ambulance personnel and the patient they were transporting — to a hospital.
The crash happened between Third and Fourth streets about 11 p.m. Two ambulance personnel were seen being taken away on stretchers and placed into other ambulances. At least one had a neck brace on. An officer at the scene said four people were taken to the hospital.
A witness, Jean Beasley of Louisville, said another person transported was the patient in the ambulance.
Beasley said the ambulance was eastbound on Broadway with its lights and siren on when a westbound car attempted to turn left onto Fourth Street and was hit by the ambulance. The car then caught fire, Beasley said.
The ambulance driver had swerved to try to avoid hitting the car, Beasley said.
She also said the two ambulance workers, before they were treated, jumped out to ensure everyone else was OK.
Another witness, Jim Cockerell, described the events as Beasley did, and added that the ambulance workers “did everything they could” to avoid a crash.
The ambulance was resting on the sidewalk in front of the Heyburn Building with its engine in a broken storefront window. A smashed black car, which appeared to be a Chrysler, was sitting in the middle of Broadway.
A large sign post on the south side of Broadway was knocked down and was lying across a lane of eastbound Broadway and was resting on a canopy on the Heyburn Building.
Shattered glass and metal littered the ground, newspaper boxes were knocked over and groups of people were standing around looking at the scene.