Ambulance transporting critical care patient to hospital collides with vehicle in Costa Mesa
A private ambulance transporting a patient to a medical facility Tuesday was waylaid in Costa Mesa after being struck by another vehicle on Newport Boulevard, causing the temporary closure of lanes on nearby Fair Drive, fire officials reported.
Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Capt. Joe Noceti said the incident occurred shortly before 12:40 p.m., when the ambulance, its emergency lights and siren activated, was traveling southbound on Newport and collided with another vehicle near the intersection of the two thoroughfares.
A responding fire crew learned the transport vehicle, a private ambulance operated by Anaheim-based Lynch Ambulance Services, had been carrying a critical care patient and immediately sprang into action.
“They got on scene and realized they had a critical care patient in the back, so they just continued the care and transport,” Noceti said.
Costa Mesa police suspect Jacob Aaron Vazquez and Esther Kavina Maultsby were involved in two purse thefts that took place Thursday at TeWinkle Park and a bank parking lot.
Three other people involved in the collision, including two ambulance employees and the occupant of the other vehicle, were also taken to a nearby hospital, where they were treated for mild to moderate injuries, Noceti reported.
Police officers on scene temporarily closed eastbound and westbound lanes of traffic on Fair Drive while the intersection was cleared, he continued, redirecting traffic on southbound Newport Boulevard during the cleanup.
While the cause of the incident was still being investigated Tuesday afternoon, Costa Mesa Police spokeswoman Roxi Fyad confirmed no arrests were made and drugs and alcohol are not suspected to have been involved.
Police on scene took about 45 minutes to clear the area of vehicles and related debris, Fyad said.
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