POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A paramedic and a patient are fighting for their lives after a pickup truck slammed into an ambulance Monday night at a Winter Haven intersection.
The crash occurred around 8:35 p.m. at U.S. Highway 27 and State Road 544 (Lucerne Park Road). According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the ambulance was transporting a patient from Haines City to Winter Haven Hospital with its emergency lights and sirens activated.
Investigators say EMT Eryn Orduna, who was driving the ambulance, slowed down at a red light and checked for clear traffic before entering the intersection. As she proceeded, a Ford F450 hauling a trailer entered the intersection southbound at highway speeds and struck the front right side of the emergency vehicle.
The force of the impact shoved the ambulance roughly 60 feet, sending it off the road and onto a grassy shoulder.
Paramedic John Parris, who was working in the back of the ambulance, was thrown from his seat during the collision. Both Parris and the patient suffered significant injuries and remain in critical condition at a local hospital.
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Orduna was treated for injuries and has been released. The driver of the truck, identified as Yandy Baez, is expected to make a full recovery.
The crash shut down southbound lanes of U.S. 27 for five hours while the Traffic Homicide Unit processed the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
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