Four Injured in Boyle Heights Ambulance Crash

LOS ANGELES, CA – Four people suffered minor injuries Wednesday when a Los Angeles Fire Department ambulance collided with a Mercedes sedan in Boyle Heights. The ambulance was carrying a critically ill patient to a hospital when the afternoon collision interrupted the trip, authorities said.

The crash occurred shortly before 2 p.m. at Boyle Avenue and Fourth Street. An official Fire Department update placed the ambulance at 327 S. Boyle Ave. at 1:57 p.m. and said responders found five patients at the scene.

Those five people included the patient who was already being transported, another civilian and three Fire Department members. The department described the transported patient as being in serious condition. The second civilian and all three firefighters reportedly had minor injuries.

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Boyle Heights Ambulance Accident Sends Four to Hospital

Authorities said four people, including the ambulance patient, were transported from the intersection. The patient’s condition preceded the collision, and officials described the injuries caused by the crash as minor. They did not identify the injured firefighters or the other civilian.

No one was trapped inside either vehicle, so firefighters did not need to conduct an extrication. Aerial images showed a red sedan with visible damage stopped beside the ambulance in the intersection. The vehicles remained there while crews evaluated the occupants and arranged continued medical care.

The initial emergency account said five people were assessed and three required further medical attention. A later account placed the number transported at four. Both reports agreed that the collision-related injuries were minor and that at least one firefighter was among those hurt.

Officials did not release later medical updates for the firefighters or the civilian in the sedan.

Cause Remains Under Investigation

The Los Angeles Police Department opened a traffic investigation under incident number 2572. The first agency statements did not describe how the ambulance and sedan entered the intersection, which direction either vehicle was traveling or whether the ambulance was using emergency lights and a siren.

Investigators had not announced a citation or assigned responsibility by Wednesday night. The early reports also did not identify a suspected role for speed, distraction or impairment.

The crash brought a second medical response to an ambulance that was already carrying a seriously ill patient. Additional Fire Department resources went to Boyle Avenue, where responders treated the four people with new injuries and continued caring for the original patient.

Police continued reviewing the collision after the initial response. The Fire Department had not released another update on its three injured members by early Thursday.