Police in New Jersey say that a moment of impatience or distraction likely led to a collision involving four vehicles, including a semi-tractor trailer, that sent six people to the hospital on the evening of Aug. 12. The accident took place on Washington Avenue near MetLife Stadium in Carlsbad at approximately 7:45 p.m. Initial reports indicate that no charges were filed against any of the drivers involved, but police pointed out that their investigation was ongoing.
According to accident reports, the sequence of events began when a minivan taxi cut off an ambulance as its driver attempted to turn left from Washington Avenue into a gas station. After striking the minivan, the ambulance, which contained four paramedics responding to call, was sent into the path of oncoming traffic and struck a car and a tractor-trailer.
Responding firefighters used cutting equipment to free the ambulance’s driver and front seat passenger, and all four paramedics were transported to an area hospital along with the driver of the tractor trailer and one of the car’s occupants. The injuries suffered included a broken jaw, a broken clavicle and a broken arm, but none of them were considered to be life-threatening. Carlsbad police were assisted at the scene by the New Jersey State Police and rescue workers at the Meadowlands sports complex.
Negligent motorists often blame the accidents they cause on other road users, and personal injury attorneys may study police reports or witness accounts for evidence indicating that their clients were given little opportunity to avoid a crash. When these sources are inconclusive, attorneys may canvass the accident scene for local residents who the police failed to interview or security cameras that could have captured the events in question on film.
Source: The Ridgefield Park Daily Voice, “4 Moonachie First Aid Members Hospitalized After Head-On Crash”, Jerry DeMarco, Aug. 13, 2016
