ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – We’re getting a clear picture of what happened when a motorcycle crashed into the side of an ambulance this year, in the middle of a busy intersection.
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While it was business as usual for most drivers heading through Juan Tabo Blvd. and Central Ave. in January, witnesses say that changed in an instant. “There’s a green light, traffic was going across. The ambulance pulled up, they had their sirens and everything going, and a few cars went, the rest of the cars stopped,” said one witness on scene.
Video showed an Albuquerque Ambulance starting to creep through the intersection but before making it to the other side, a motorcycle appears. “He came flying, filtering between the cars. He was booking it,” said a witness.
The motorcyclist was killed after colliding with the passenger side of the ambulance. “We felt a slam and stopped right here, saw him going to the ground,” said the ambulance driver.
After the crash, KRQE News 13 tried to ask Albuquerque Ambulance about the challenges they face responding to emergency calls, but they only sent a statement saying in part, “Emergency responders are trained to follow strict safety protocols when responding with lights and sirens including when entering intersections.”
Meanwhile, Albuquerque Fire Rescue, which was not involved in the crash, said dealing with other drivers on the road can be unpredictable. “Even the most experienced drivers and with the highest level of training, we do still get into situations where collisions happen or something unexpected happens, and that’s a result of just trying to navigate all of those different variables,” said Lt. Jason Fejer, AFR.
Drivers darting across the traffic lanes, using their cellphones, and speeding are just some of the problems AFR says it sees most often. “Distracted driving is probably the biggest factor that we’re dealing with in all that, so yes, we did have a firefighter that was hit responding to a motor vehicle accident on the interstate,” said Fejer.
That firefighter, who was injured in October, is still out recovering. Fejer also said last summer, Engine 16 was hit while stopped at a scene, lights still flashing. So it’s something they worry about every single call. “Until we actually get back in the truck and start getting back in route to the station, you know we can actually breathe a sigh of relief,” said Fejer.
