Scooter Rider Dies in Merced Medical Transport Crash

MERCED, CA – A 70-year-old man riding a scooter died Friday afternoon after a medical transport vehicle struck him near G and 21st streets, police said. The vehicle was not carrying patients or responding to a call when the collision occurred. 

First responders found the rider with critical injuries and attempted lifesaving measures, but he died at the scene. Authorities had not released his name by Saturday while they worked to notify his family. 

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Police Examine How the Scooter Rider Entered the Road 

Merced Police Department Sgt. Jacob Fister said the man entered the roadway before he was struck. Investigators had not determined why he moved into the street or described the direction in which either the scooter or transport vehicle was traveling. 

Photographs from the scene showed a vehicle bearing the name of Active Transport Medical Service being towed away. Although the vehicle displayed ambulance markings, police described it as a medical transportation service vehicle rather than an emergency ambulance. 

Two company employees were inside the transport vehicle, and no patient was aboard. Police said the crew was not answering an emergency call. The driver stopped after the collision and remained at the scene while officers investigated. Police did not report that either employee required medical treatment. 

Driver Remained and Cooperated With Investigators 

Investigators did not believe drugs or alcohol contributed to the crash. Fister said the initial evidence led officers to view the collision as accidental, although they were still working to establish the sequence. Police also clarified that the transport company was not working under a contract with the department. A company representative declined to comment while the investigation continued. 

The collision occurred at a city intersection used by drivers, pedestrians, and people traveling by bicycle or scooter. Police did not identify a suspected traffic violation, say whether the scooter rider was in a crosswalk or release information about the vehicle’s speed. Fister said the department was still working to determine what happened before the impact. 

The driver stayed at the scene and was available to speak with investigators. 

Fister described the incident as traumatic for everyone involved and urged road users to watch for one another. The Police Department continued its investigation into the rider’s movement into the roadway and the transport vehicle’s approach to the intersection. No additional information about the employees or the time of the afternoon collision was released.