North Platte Nebraska Ambulance Involved in Accident

[NEFireALS]

I-80 Fatalities
8/7/2003 6:45:50 AM
The driver of a North Platte ambulance hit yesterday on Interstate 80 has died.

Seward County Deputy Sheriff Randy Brown says the ambulance driver was killed after the vehicle was struck from behind by a semitrailer.

The impact sent the ambulance into a beer truck.

Brown said it appears the beer truck and ambulance had either slowed or stopped for construction. But the semi was not able to stop in time to avoid the crash.

Three other injured people, including the patient in the ambulance, were take to a Lincoln hospital with injuries.

The accident happened just after four o'clock yesterday afternoon near the Crete interchange in the eastbound lanes.

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This was confirmed this morning at about 6am...I will post the funneral arangments when the come up...My prayers go out to the family of the crew and the other people that were injured in this tragic accident.

Joshua Noxon
Tamora Volunteer Fire Department
Firefighter/EMT-Intermediate

[IAMedic]

Mine too

[SteelMaiden]

My prayers also, NE is my homestate and will always be in my heart. I have many friends out there who run on volunteer squads, they are the inspiration for my becoming an EMT.

[rcrompm46]

Pass on my condolences also.

From the Lincoln Journal Star

I am also in NE and it will remain to be seen whether any charges will be brought against the semi-driver.

While this accident was being cleaned up/investigated there was another semi-related accident.

Two men were killed Wednesday in separate three-vehicle wrecks on Interstate 80 in Seward County, authorities said.

Each fatality involved a semi-tractor trailer rear-ending another vehicle in the eastbound lanes.

Eastbound traffic was snarled and portions of the interstate were closed for several hours.

In the first accident, a North Platte ambulance driver was killed when the ambulance was crushed between a semi and a beer truck, said Seward County Deputy Randy Brown.

The semi hit the ambulance, which did not have its lights and sirens activated, from behind shortly after 4 p.m. near the Crete interchange, he said.

Brown said it appears the beer truck and ambulance had either slowed or stopped for construction, but that the semi had not been able to stop in time to avoid the crash.

Two people were taken by ambulance and another was taken by helicopter to BryanLGH Medical Center West, he said.

A patient in the ambulance was one of those taken to the hospital.

No other information was available on their identities, ages or conditions Wednesday night.

About 90 minutes later and several miles west, a semi rear-ended another semi near the Seward interchange when traffic slowed because of the first crash, said Nebraska State Patrol Sgt. Tim Pickering.

One semi was carrying butter and the other was carrying whipped cream, the patrol said.

A van also was involved in that crash, although no one in the van was injured, Pickering said.

The driver of the semi that rear-ended the semi in front of it was killed, Pickering said.

He was Arthur Lavern Madesian Sr., 62, of Bettendorf, Iowa, a patrol spokeswoman said.

No further information was available on injuries.

Eastbound interstate traffic was rerouted from York to the Crete interchange.

Westbound interstate traffic also was rerouted around Seward because of the debris on the roadway.

Eastbound interstate traffic opened at 8:45 p.m. east of Seward after being closed for nearly five hours, but remained closed between York and Seward at press time, the patrol said.

The deaths bring the total number of people killed on Nebraska roads this year to 175, compared with 181 the same time last year.

[hageremtp]

My Prayers go out to the members of the service, their family, and all persons that were affected by this accident.

[msharpe1047]

My prayers go out to all involved, especially those who have lost a loved one.

[eyeOthestorm]

I'll be holding all involved in The Light as I work tonight.

[latigo]

Words cannot express the sorrow we all feel in this tragedy. Let us know where we can send memorials when the time comes. I feel a great affinity for my brothers and sisters in NE, as I have spent a lot of time there in my other jobs, and live fairly close.