Hermann ambulance turns over on icy road responding to call in Warren County
By Monte Miller, Record Staff Writer
Posted 11/7/19
First responders were not immune to the freezing drizzle that covered Franklin and Warren counties Friday afternoon and evening. While responding to a call on Highway B near Highway 94 in Warren …
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Hermann ambulance turns over on icy road responding to call in Warren County
Posted
By Monte Miller, Record Staff Writer
First responders were not immune to the freezing drizzle that covered Franklin and Warren counties Friday afternoon and evening.While responding to a call on Highway B near Highway 94 in Warren County Friday night a Hermann ambulance slid off the roadway, turned over on its side and then skidded about 10 feet down an embankment.Hermann EMS Chief Doug Clark said he believes the rig isn’t salvageable and he is just thankful the crew was uninjured.“Everyone is OK, but the ambulance is severely damaged,” Clark said. “They were only going 13 mph. They were responding to another vehicle crash at about 8:30 p.m., which was one of three we were handling at the same time.”He added the crew involved in the accident were taken off the streets for the rest of the night and replaced by others.“The ambulance had chains on the tires for extra traction and there was nothing the crew could have done to avoid the accident,” Clark said. “It’s just bad luck. They were out on a road that nobody should have been driving on, but we had no choice.”Clark said he was unsure if the 2015 Mercedes Sprinter ambulance would be totaled, but he was not optimistic that it could be repaired.“I’m still talking with the insurance company,” Clark said. “This was our newest truck and it cost $86,000 when we bought it. It only had 40,000 miles on it.”In addition to the ambulance itself being out of service, Clark said they will have to carefully inspect all of the medical equipment on the truck to make sure it wasn’t damaged. If anything must be replaced that will make the cost of the accident go even higher. Since the accident Friday, Hermann EMS has still been operating its normal two crews, but they are using their backup ambulance, leaving them short handed if a third call comes in while the other crews are out.“Our third truck is used all of the time,” Clark said, “In the past we’ve gotten a loaner from Osage Ambulance Company in Linn. I’m already looking into doing that again and we’ll have to rely on mutual aid. That’s all you can do.”Ambulances are not purchased off of a lot like regular cars.If they must replace the wrecked truck, Clark said it could take as long as nine months to order and custom build a new ambulance to put the fleet back at full strength.
