One thing that all drivers need to do is to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles. This is particularly important when that vehicle has lights on or the emergency team is attending to an accident that has happened.
When drivers don’t get out of the way, a crash can happen. That crash could not only injure the victim who was already being transported but also the emergency team members who were helping them. That crash makes an emergency situation into one that’s even more serious.
Take for example this case out of Tensas Parish. Investigators reported that two vehicles, an ambulance and another vehicle, collided at around 9:00 p.m. on U.S. Highway 65. The ambulance was headed to the hospital at the time and did have its emergency lights on. It also had the siren activated at the time.
Despite that, another vehicle collided with the ambulance. That resulted in multiple first responders and additional ambulances being called to the scene. The patient, emergency medical technician inside the ambulance and the driver of the vehicle that was involved were all taken to the hospital.
Remember, it is the law to yield to the right-of-way of an ambulance that is approaching. If you fail to do so, then you could be at fault for a collision.
If you’re injured in a wreck with a driver who fails to yield to an emergency vehicle, you may be able to pursue a claim against an at-fault driver. The at-fault driver may also face additional criminal penalties for violating the move-over law, but it may take a civil claim to pursue fair compensation for your losses.