ORONO, Maine — A Houlton ambulance sustained extensive damage Sunday evening after striking a Maine Department of Transportation plow truck on Interstate-95 near the Stillwater Avenue exit.
According to Houlton Fire Chief Milton Cone, two Houlton paramedics were returning from Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where they had transferred a patient from Houlton Regional Hospital, when the ambulance sideswiped a Maine DOT plow truck shortly after 7 p.m.
“The ambulance was heading north on I-95 after transferring a patient when they came upon a two MDOT plow trucks,” Cone said. “They passed the first truck, which was plowing the right-hand lane, and when they passed the second truck, which was plowing the passing lane, they struck the plow wing.”
The driver’s side of the ambulance was ripped open, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The ambulance entered the median and came to rest on its roof, Cone said.
Only the two EMTs were in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Their names were not released. One complained of pain in his ribs, and was taken back to EMMC where he was treated and released.
Cone said poor road conditions were a contributing factor in the crash. Cone added that he thinks the ambulance will be totaled as a result of the crash.
The ambulance was picked up by Autotronics in Hampden. The two EMTs secured a back-up ambulance from Autotronics and returned to Houlton later that evening. The chief said Houlton’s ambulance coverage will not be impacted as the town will still have three ambulances at its disposal.
“It was an unfortunate accident, but we were fortunate that nobody was seriously hurt,” Cone said.
