SAN JACINTO: Woman in critical condition after struck by ambulance

SAN JACINTO — A woman who was struck by an ambulance while darting across a busy San Jacinto street was hospitalized with critical injuries Monday evening, Aug 21. The vehicle versus pedestrian traffic accident happened in the 600 block of S. State Street, north of W. 7th Street, in San Jacinto.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s San Jacinto Police Station responded to the major-injury traffic collision at 10:55 pm, after the ambulance crew and others called 911 to report the collision.

When deputies and other emergency first responders arrived at the scene, they found the two PMT medics providing medical aid and comfort to the seriously injured pedestrian, who was reportedly unresponsive at the scene before being transported. She had suffered major, traumatic injuries when she was struck by the ambulance, which is owned by Premier Medical Transportation – also known as PMT Ambulance.

According to their website, PMT Ambulance and Premier Medical Transportation is a non-emergency and ambulance transportation company that serves Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Their clients typically include elderly and those who are gurney or wheelchair-bound.

AMR medics eventually transported the pedestrian to an area trauma center, where she remains in serious condition, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Radek Horkel explained in a written press release after the accident.

During their initial investigation, deputies determined the ambulance was traveling north on State Street in the number two lane when the pedestrian attempted to run across State Street.

As the woman ran from the west side of the street towards the east side, she ran directly into the path of the oncoming ambulance, at which time she was struck. The victim was not in or near a marked cross walk when she was hit by the ambulance.

The impact from the ambulance threw the victim about 30 feet and knocked her out of her shoes, which could be seen in the street for several hours after the collision.

The ambulance showed signs of moderate collision damage on the driver’s side front grill and hood; however, it was not confirmed that the damage had been caused by the impact of the collision.

While officials investigated the incident, they called for the temporary closure of northbound State Street between 7th Street and N. Skovell Avenue. The roadway remained closed for about three hours, until officials concluded their initial investigation.

Officials have not stated how fast the ambulance was going at the time of the accident or if the ambulance crew had been transporting a patient when the collision happened. They have also not yet specified if alcohol or drug intoxication were believed to be factors in the accident.

The PMT Ambulance was later towed from the scene of the accident.

Officials investigating the cause of the collision have requested that anyone with additional information or who witnessed the incident to contact the San Jacinto Police Department at 951-487-7352. Callers can refer to incident file number I172330090 and can remain anonymous.

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Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.