Kevin Carswell, Ricky Marr Injured when Truck Hits Ambulance in Dillsboro, NC
Dillsboro, NC — June 8, 2022, 45-year-old Kevin Carswell and 33-year-old Ricky Marr were injured in a crash with a semi-truck in Dillsboro.
According to reports the incident happened around 8:10 a.m. along US-23/441 at Haywood Road, next to the Huddle House restaurant. Preliminary investigation suggests a Volvo 18-wheeler traveled down a nearby hill from State Route 74 toward the intersection's light, going around 55mph in a 35 zone.
The truck, loaded with several tons of motor oil, was unable to stop for the red light and passed into the crossing. It then hit a Harris EMS ambulance driven by Carswell. The impact flipped the ambulance onto its passenger side.
Carswell and passenger Marr reportedly received minor injuries in the wreck. The ambulance had no patients at the time and the truck driver was unhurt.
The truck driver was cited for failure to stop for steady red light.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Kevin Carswell, Ricky Marr Accident in Dillsboro
Altogether this sounds like a pretty straightforward incident. The truck ran down a hill at excessive speeds and then couldn't stop, ran a red light, and plowed into the ambulance hard enough to flip it. Frankly considering how the crash is described it's almost miraculous that the only described injuries were minor.
Before either of the men in that ambulance celebrate their good fortune too much, however, I think it's important to take a beat and make sure they're fully evaluated--and that their injuries are watched carefully until they heal. Overkill? Hardly. I've done this for a long time and over the years I've seen plenty of cases where first impressions of victims' injuries completely underestimated them.
Not long ago, for example, a man came to me about a crash where his truck was rear-ended by a big rig. Doctors told him to use a heating pad and take ibuprofen for a simple sore back, then sent him home. A few days later, that soreness had turned into agony.
Further tests showed the crash actually ruptured a disk in his spine. That "minor" injury ultimately required surgery and months of recovery, not to mention a long battle with the insurance company to make them help him back on his feet.
I certainly hope nothing like that happens here, but that man got help because he took his situation seriously and reached out to us soon after the wreck. Those who wait too long may find they no longer have access to the needed tools and evidence. As they say, "hope for the best but prepare for the worst." A truck accident is no exception.
