Ambulance Crew, Patient Injured in Crash with Box Truck on Route 9 in Malta, NY
Malta, NY — January 23, 2023, an ambulance crew and a patient were injured in a fiery collision with a box truck on U.S. Route 9 in Malta.
Authorities say the incident happened around 7:45 a.m. on Route 9. Preliminary investigation suggests the ambulance was transporting the patient to an area hospital when a box truck made an illegal U-turn into its path. The ambulance was unable to stop due to road conditions and the vehicles collided, after which the ambulance slid into a nearby ditch. The crew was able to pull the patient from the unit before it caught fire.
The patient and crew were taken by another ambulance to the same hospital for evaluation and treatment. No other injuries were reported.
The investigation is ongoing. No further information is currently available.
If preliminary reports have their facts straight it seems like a (supposed) professional truck driver made an illegal U-turn, failed to yield, and did both in dangerous road conditions. It's still important to investigate carefully in case there are unclear circumstances behind their choices, but barring something unusual it seems like they just screwed up pretty badly.
If that's the case and the trucker's negligence ended up hurting several people, most may feel they and the company who put them on the road should take responsibility and make things right. Ideally that might be true, but in my experience it's unlikely to happen until the company has exhausted its tricks and tactics to avoid blame. People in truck accidents with seemingly-straightforward details are often surprised to find out how deep a company will dig in its heels rather than admit fault. That's why I try to set expectations by writing about some hurdles to expect after a crash with a commercial truck. Click below to read more.
