Bicyclist Dies After Crash On Way To Hospital
TURLOCK (CBS13) — An ambulance rushing a Turlock man to the hospital was hit by a pickup truck on the way there Thursday night.
That man was suffering serious injuries and Turlock Police said he later died in the hospital. Multiple first responders were also hurt in this crash. They tried to save a man's life and ended up putting their own in danger.
The force of the crash knocked the ambulance on its side.
People living nearby said they couldn't believe their eyes
"I'm very very upset and concerned about my family because we live around here," said Claudia Zamarripa.
This all started when the ambulance went to pick up a man in his 60s who was riding his bike and got hit by a car near the intersection of North Olive and East Hawkeye Avenue.
READ ALSO: El Dorado County Sheriff's Department Investigating Suspicious Device On Hwy 89
Just minutes later on the way to the hospital, the ambulance was hit by a truck at Golden State Boulevard and Monte Vista Avenue.
"I'm very proud of our membership for sacrificing themselves, literally getting injured and then putting their injuries on hold to make sure the citizens of Turlock are taken care of," said Dan Timko, a Turlock firefighter who is a colleague of the firefighters injured.
Timko said the firefighters involved in this crash are doing okay, but they've got a lot of recovering to do.
"The inherent dangers we face every day is just something we have to deal with and try and prepare for the worst and hope for the best," Timko said.
READ: Suspected Serial Arsonist Arrested In Sacramento
Timko hopes this crash serves as a reminder to drivers about the importance of pulling over for emergency vehicles.
"Stay calm. Just because you see us with lights and sirens doesn't mean you have to jeopardize your safety when you're making room for us to come through," he said.
Neighbors near the crash site said that intersection is extremely dangerous but after seeing the ambulance crash they will try and avoid it altogether.
"My daughter was crying she said, 'I can't believe it, mom, I'm scared to go walk by myself now," Zamarripa said.
