SRI SA KET, THAILAND – An ambulance crashed broadside into a power pole in broad daylight, turning a routine transfer into a bloody nightmare on a rural road.
Rescuer in life-threatening condition
A nurse in the ambulance was fighting for her life after the collision. She had been seated in the rear of the vehicle beside the young patient when the impact occurred.
The force of the crash shattered her bones and caused severe internal injuries. Although she remained conscious, doctors described her condition as critical.
Specialists at a larger hospital in Ubon Ratchathani were battling to save her. She had set out to help others and became the most serious emergency of the day herself.
Driver fell asleep at the wheel
The crash happened in the early afternoon on the road from Kantrarom to Sri Sa Ket. The ambulance driver later admitted he had been overtired.
According to his account, a brief moment of microsleep was enough for him to lose control. The vehicle veered left off the roadway and slammed head-on into the concrete pole.
The ambulance was completely torn apart in the collision, with debris scattered for meters across the road. What had been a life-saving transport turned into a scene of devastation within seconds.
Shocking video shows the impact
A camera in a car driving behind captured the crash. The footage showed the ambulance suddenly swerving sideways without warning.
Without braking, the white emergency vehicle ploughed straight into the obstacle. Dust rose, metal screeched and the front of the vehicle crumpled on impact.
Eyewitnesses who released the video said they were stunned by the sheer violence of the collision. In a matter of seconds, the ambulance became a death trap for those inside.
Three occupants narrowly escape
Alongside the critically injured nurse, three other people were in the wreck. The 18-year-old patient and his 15-year-old relative suffered only minor injuries.
Both were said to be in massive shock but were out of mortal danger. They escaped with far less serious wounds than initially feared.
The driver also survived the crash almost unhurt, sustaining only minor injuries to his left leg. While he now had to explain how the accident happened, his colleague remained in intensive care.