Head-on crash between ambulance and minivan sends three Chatham residents to hospital

CTV Windsor: Head-on Chatham ambulance crash Three people were sent to hospital and after a head-on crash between an ambulance and a minivan near Chatham. Gina Chung reports.

Three Chatham residents have been sent to hospital and after a serious head-on crash between an ambulance and a minivan in Chatham-Kent.

Chatham-Kent police say it happened on Queens Line around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. The road is blocked off between Merlin Road and the Highway 401 ramp.

A 25-year-old Chatham man was travelling eastbound in a minivan when he crossed the centre line and struck a Chatham-Kent Medavie EMS ambulance travelling westbound, according to police.

"Because of the nature of the collision, both drivers had to be extricated by fire personnel from their vehicles," says Chatham-Kent Const. Renee Cowell.

Two on-duty paramedics, a 36-year-old Chatham woman and 46-year-old Chatham man were on board.  No patients were in the ambulance at the time.

"As emergency responders, we respond to collisions every day,” says Cowell. “Unfortunately today we had to respond to one of our own, which is a difficult situation for everybody involved."

The driver was the only occupant of the minivan. He was transported to the London Health Sciences Centre via Ornge air ambulance with life-threatening injuries. He remains in critical, but stable condition.

The female driver of the ambulance was taken to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor with serious injuries.  The male passenger of the ambulance was sent to the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance with minor injuries.

The road was closed for several hours. The Ministry of Labour was also called in to investigate.

Anyone with information about this collision is asked to contact Const. Michael Pearce at 519-355-1092 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).