By Steve Lyttle
Charlotte Observer
Copyright 2007 The Charlotte Observer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One person was killed and another critically injured in an overnight collision involving a car and an ambulance near Memorial Stadium.
The wreck happened shortly after 2 a.m. at Charlottetowne Avenue and East 7th Street.
The victim has been identified as Oliva Ibarra Soberanes, who turned 25 last Saturday.
Police say Soberanes was driving a 1999 two-door Acura that collided with an ambulance. A passenger in the victim’s car was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. The passenger’s identity has not been released.
The Observer’s news partner, WCNC-TV, quotes police as saying Soberanes was driving on 7th Street and apparently ran a red light as the ambulance was coming off the Independence Boulevard Freeway and getting onto Charlottetowne Avenue. The ambulance, which was not carrying passengers and was not operating its emergency lights, broadsided the Acura.
The driver of the ambulance was not injured.
WCNC-TV also reports that police think alcohol might have been involved in the wreck. An investigation is continuing this morning.
WCNC-TV contributed to this article.