COLFAX, ND - On Sunday, June 9th, a Day County, South Dakota ambulance traveling on Interstate 29 in North Dakota caught fire and while traffic was stopped to put out the fully engulfed ambulance, a four-car crash happened.
According to KELO, the crash ended with multiple injuries and a DUI charge. A Facebook post by the North Dakota Highway Patrol said that when the ambulance caught fire, the driver stopped and with the help of the other EMT, was able to safely remove the patient they had in the back.
An ambulance from Breckenridge-Wahpeton service came to transport the original patient, who was not injured during the fire. Authorities shut down Interstate 29 northbound while fire crews worked to put the fire out. While traffic was stopped, the four-car crash happened when a BMW 335 driven by 28-year-old Donald Lawuya failed to stop and rear-ended a Mazda CX-5.
The Mazda CX-5 was pushed forward into a Ford F-150, which was forced into a Subaru Forester. According to authorities, Lawuya and his passenger, along with a passenger in the Subaru and two passengers in the Ford, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Mazda was transported to Fargo with serious life-threatening injuries.
While at the Sanford hospital in Fargo, Lawuya was arrested for DUI, DUI-Refusal and Driving Under Suspension. Captain Bryan Niewin with the North Dakota Highway Patrol said that the crash following the fire created a "very chaotic environment," adding that the incident required responses by Highway Patrol, fire services, and EMS in a fairly rural area.
The area relies heavily on volunteer operators for many of its first responders. Chad Madison, director of the Day County ambulance service, said that they have yet to find out what caused the fire. He said that the operators of the vehicle told him that the ambulance was running just fine up until what he called a "catastrophic event" and hopes that the insurance inspection scheduled for June 11th will provide an answer to what caused the fire. Madison added that the ambulance had just been serviced on June 6th.
According to KVRR, Interstate 29 was closed for approximately 45 minutes while the fire was put out. The four-car crash occurred northbound about one mile south of the ambulance incident. Both incidents remains under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
In a separate incident, a rollover crash involving a Chrysler Pacifica has left one man injured and facing DUI charges. KXNET reported that the incident happened on Sunday, June 9th, when the driver was traveling from Grand Forks to Drayton westbound on State Highway 66.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol said that the driver, identified as a 28-year-old man from Grand Forks, lost control when the vehicle partially entered the south ditch, then crossed over into the north ditch and rolled. The driver sustained moderate to severe injuries at the time of the crash and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. The incident remains under investigation.
According to KELO, the crash ended with multiple injuries and a DUI charge. A Facebook post by the North Dakota Highway Patrol said that when the ambulance caught fire, the driver stopped and with the help of the other EMT, was able to safely remove the patient they had in the back.
An ambulance from Breckenridge-Wahpeton service came to transport the original patient, who was not injured during the fire. Authorities shut down Interstate 29 northbound while fire crews worked to put the fire out. While traffic was stopped, the four-car crash happened when a BMW 335 driven by 28-year-old Donald Lawuya failed to stop and rear-ended a Mazda CX-5.
The Mazda CX-5 was pushed forward into a Ford F-150, which was forced into a Subaru Forester. According to authorities, Lawuya and his passenger, along with a passenger in the Subaru and two passengers in the Ford, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Mazda was transported to Fargo with serious life-threatening injuries.
While at the Sanford hospital in Fargo, Lawuya was arrested for DUI, DUI-Refusal and Driving Under Suspension. Captain Bryan Niewin with the North Dakota Highway Patrol said that the crash following the fire created a "very chaotic environment," adding that the incident required responses by Highway Patrol, fire services, and EMS in a fairly rural area.
The area relies heavily on volunteer operators for many of its first responders. Chad Madison, director of the Day County ambulance service, said that they have yet to find out what caused the fire. He said that the operators of the vehicle told him that the ambulance was running just fine up until what he called a "catastrophic event" and hopes that the insurance inspection scheduled for June 11th will provide an answer to what caused the fire. Madison added that the ambulance had just been serviced on June 6th.
According to KVRR, Interstate 29 was closed for approximately 45 minutes while the fire was put out. The four-car crash occurred northbound about one mile south of the ambulance incident. Both incidents remains under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
In a separate incident, a rollover crash involving a Chrysler Pacifica has left one man injured and facing DUI charges. KXNET reported that the incident happened on Sunday, June 9th, when the driver was traveling from Grand Forks to Drayton westbound on State Highway 66.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol said that the driver, identified as a 28-year-old man from Grand Forks, lost control when the vehicle partially entered the south ditch, then crossed over into the north ditch and rolled. The driver sustained moderate to severe injuries at the time of the crash and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. The incident remains under investigation.
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