Car accident involving ambulance kills Pennsylvania man

Regardless of how careful one is when driving, not every hazard can be avoided. A serious car accident often occurs with no warning and can leave devastation in the aftermath. Even those who are dedicated to saving lives can be caught up in these horrific collisions as a recent Pennsylvania crash demonstrated.

The wreck occurred along Route 62 in Mercer County as motorists were headed out in the early morning. The accident report indicated that an 83-year-old man was proceeding east along the route when his vehicle abruptly left its travel lane and veered over into the westbound lanes. There, his vehicle hit an ambulance that was traveling west. In an effort to avoid colliding with the car, the driver of the emergency vehicle attempted to swerve out of the way.

It its effort to evade that first wreck, the ambulance purportedly traveled on two wheels before landing and hitting two other cars. The emergency vehicle then traveled further down the road where it struck two more automobiles. The first driver’s car was also struck by another vehicle after colliding with the ambulance. One of the men who was driving the last two vehicles struck by the ambulance, a 55-year-old, suffered life threatening injuries. He was taken for medical care by helicopter, but later died.

The driver of the ambulance suffered serious injuries, and the passenger suffered only minor injuries. The driver of the first car and his companion suffered minor injuries as well. Pennsylvania officials have not released any information as to what may have caused that driver to veer into the path of oncoming traffic. Victims and families in these circumstances caused by a car accident may have more than physical and emotional wounds to recover from as they likely have sustained significant financial damages from medical bills, final expenses — in the event of a fatal wreck — and lost wages. They may have grounds to pursue recourse for those losses by filing a personal injury or wrongful death civil suit against the parties deemed liable for their damages.

Source: wkbn.com, “Jackson Center man killed in Mercer County head-on crash”, Nov. 9, 2017