3 people injured in an ambulance accident in the Bronx, NYC

3 people suffered personal injury in an ambulance accident in New York City. The accident occurred Tuesday morning around 7:30 a.m. on East Fordham Road at Elm Place. The FDNY ambulance careened into an optical store after it collided with a car. The ambulance was on its way to a call. Two FDNY workers who were in the ambulance as well as one of the car occupants were injured and rushed to the hospital. Thankfully there were no pedestrians on the sidewalk or in the store which was closed.

Ambulance accidents are unfortunately occurring too often in New York City. Despite having special exemption from stopping at red-lights and stop signs as well as from speed limits ambulance drivers still have to be mindful of pedestrians, cyclists and other motor vehicles. Pedestrians and cyclists are especially vulnerable to being run down by speeding ambulances. When such accidents occur, it is not always easy for the victims or their family to get proper compensation for their injuries or the loss of a loved one because of what is known as the “emergency doctrine” pursuant to which emergency responders involved in accidents  on emergency calls can’t be held responsible unless they drove with reckless disregard for the safety of others.

Almost 100 ambulance accidents every month in NYC

Ambulances accidents in New York City have been on the rise over the last few years. In 2013, there were an average 70 ambulance accidents every month these days the average number of monthly ambulance accidents is close to 100.

Not only ambulances can be dangerous for other road users because they are emergency vehicles but also because the material inside the ambulance such as oxygen tanks can be deadly. Oxygen itself is not a combustible but it’s an accelerant.  The interiors of the ambulances are often oxygen saturated so a small fire can quickly turn into a massive explosion. Last June an ambulance burst into a massive ball of fire  on the streets of the Upper West Side. The fire spread to five other vehicles parked in the street.  Thankfully nobody was injured during the accident. The ambulance was not carrying any patient and the staff had the time to run to cover.