Patient, crew OK after AMR ambulance crashes

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

No one was injured after a Floyd County AMR ambulance slid off of the road and crashed early Tuesday, AMR officials said.

The ambulance was transporting a patient and AMR crews to Rochester, Minn. when it apparently hit black ice near Leroy, Minn. at 4:40 a.m., AMR Safety Risk Manager Lloyd Henry said. The body of the ambulance is damaged, although Henry did not have an estimate of the extent. The investigation into the incident could take a few weeks, he said.

“Fortunately everyone is OK,” Henry said. “We called a local ambulance service and they came right over and continued on with the transport.”

AMR services Iowa Falls and Charles City within Iowa. Accidents involving ambulances are rare, Henry said, and crews evaluate the kinds of transports they can provide during winter weather.

“We have to make sure we have the ability to get to the patient, and a lot of times we may have to rely on other agencies to assist on that process. An ambulance is not four-wheel drive,” Henry said.

The crash took place the same morning a Charles City Community District School Bus slid off an icy road while picking up students, at 7:45 a.m. Rain from the previous night and freezing standing water led the National Weather Service to recommend cautious travel on roads and sidewalks throughout the day.

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