By Steven Symes 
A man in Garfield Heights, Ohio is baffled the city won’t reimburse him after an ambulance ran a red light, totaling his car. The man was injured in the violent crash, which was caught on camera, but the city also won’t reimburse his medical expenses. We wish we could say we’re surprised.
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Why the ambulance ran the red light wasn’t clear. After all, from the video it appears the vehicle’s lights and sirens weren’t going, so it didn’t appear to be responding to a call. Even if it were, many municipalities have the policy of pausing before going through red lights to avoid these very types of accidents.
It’s ironic when first responders who are supposed to be helping people experiencing medical emergencies cause one through their own behavior. But, what’s even worse is when the city won’t take responsibility for those actions.
According to 19 News, which looked into the situation, the city of Garfield Heights claims an eyewitness and the people onboard the ambulance said the lights and sirens were on when the ambulance blew through the red light. In other words, they’re trying to blame the crash on the guy who was just driving to work and had a solid green light.
The new station found out the employee driving the ambulance had only been on the job for two days at the time of the crash. A report from his supervisor noted the accident could’ve been avoided had the driver been “more cognizant of emergency vehicle driving operations.”
Yet, the city is apparently trying to pin the entirety of blame onto the citizen who was just driving through an intersection, completely unaware a speeding ambulance was about to blow through the red light. It doesn’t really make sense, but we wonder why the victim in this case hasn’t contacted a lawyer.
Image via 19 News/YouTube