HOULTON, Maine —A Houlton man crashed his car into an ambulance that was on its way to an emergency call on Saturday afternoon, according to the Maine State Police.
George Barrow, 83, of Houlton was stopped at a red light at the intersection of North Street and Union Square in his Ford Taurus shortly after 1:30 p.m., when an ambulance driven by Samantha Polchies, 24, approached the intersection with its lights and siren running, Cpl. Dennis Quint said in a news release.
The ambulance was responding to an emergency call for someone with breathing problems.
The traffic light then changed, giving Barrow a green light. Barrow proceeded through the intersection, where his car collided with the side of the ambulance. Barrow did not see or hear the ambulance, Quint said.
Barrow, who was wearing a seatbelt, was not injured, Quint said. He said members of the ambulance crew complained of minor pain.
The crash remains under investigation.
The ambulance sustained some damage but was able to be driven back to the station, according to Ambulance Director Milton Cone. He was uncertain Monday morning exactly how much damage the vehicle sustained.
“Autotronics will be picking the ambulance up and doing an assessment today,” Cone said. “They will be bringing us a loaner vehicle so our fleet is not depleted.”
Houlton Pioneer Times reporter Joseph Cyr contributed to this article.
