Posted in Car Accident,Personal Injury,Tennessee Accident Law on February 14, 2017
Ambulance with Patient Onboard Involved in Crash in Nashville
An ambulance with a level 2 trauma patient onboard was involved in an accident in Nashville late Thursday morning.
Per a report by WKRN.com, the crash occurred just before noon near Eighth Avenue at the intersection of Wedgewood Avenue and the off-ramp leading from Interstate 65 in Davidson County.
There’s no official confirmation about how many vehicles other than the ambulance were involved in the accident. In addition, it’s unclear if anyone else was injured in the crash or if the patient inside the ambulance was hurt or suffered complications due to the collision.
Emergency responders closed all traffic heading from the I-65 off-ramp onto Wedgewood to give police and the ambulance crew the opportunity to investigate the crash and clear the scene. The roadway reopened to traffic by around 12:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
No further information about the accident has been released.
3 Ways to Drive Safely around Emergency Vehicles
It’s normal to feel some stress and apprehension when you see or hear an emergency vehicle heading your way. After all, these vehicles and their timeliness when it comes to responding to accidents and emergencies can mean the difference between life and death for victims. That’s why it’s important to drive carefully near these vehicles. However, doing so can be difficult if you’re unsure of the right steps to take when you hear a blaring siren near your vehicle.
Staying calm when an ambulance, fire truck, or police car is approaching or is near your vehicle isn’t always easy, but knowing these three tips can help you take the right steps:
Tennessee’s Move Over law was enacted in 2006 and requires that all drivers change lanes away from stopped emergency vehicles. That includes vehicles like police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and rescue vehicles. It was also modified in recent years to include utility vehicles. When drivers fail to move over, they are at high risk of striking both emergency vehicles and responders who are outside of their vehicles.
It’s important to give emergency vehicles plenty of room to get through congested areas and intersections when they approach you from behind. But it’s also important to make sure you don’t put yourself and others in danger when you make room. Changing lanes and coming to a complete stop when emergency vehicles approach can help clear a path, but make sure you aren’t driving into the path of other vehicles when you do this.
Regardless of whether you have a green light or arrived at a stop sign first, you must always yield the right of way to emergency vehicles if their lights and sirens are on. If you’re about to cross an intersection and see an emergency vehicle approaching the area, don’t try to beat it by driving through the intersection. Instead, wait for it to pass. Then, check for the presence of other emergency vehicles before entering the intersection, as there may be multiple vehicles responding to a call.
In addition to these tips, it’s also important to give emergency vehicles plenty of room and never follow them too closely, as they may need to make sudden stops or sharp turns that put them at risk of rear-end collisions. Remember that emergency vehicles and their drivers don’t have to follow the rules of the road when they’re responding to a call, so always be prepared to move over and for the vehicle to be somewhat unpredictable in its movements and path—including occasionally driving in the wrong direction.
If you or someone you know was injured in an accident involving an emergency vehicle that was caused by a negligent driver, the Nashville auto accident attorneys at Matt Hardin Law want to speak with you. We have two decades of combined experience fighting for the rights of injured victims like you, and we know what it takes to get the compensation you deserve. Don’t delay—dial (615) 200-1111 or complete a free online consultation form to speak with us right now.
