WASHINGTON — A man is recovering from critical injuries after DC Police say he crashed into an ambulance in Northwest.
The crash happened Wednesday morning before 7:20 a.m., at the intersection of Farragut Street and Georgia Avenue, Northwest.
Surveillance video obtained by WUSA9 shows the moment that a white van crosses the yellow lines and strikes the ambulance that was traveling southbound on Georgia Avenue.
"Two paramedics who were aboard our medic unit which was not carrying a patient at the time. They were responding to a call," Vito Maggiolo with D.C. Fire and EMS Public told reporters during a news conference. He says they had just departed a fire station a block away.
Witnesses say the ambulance had sirens and lights activated before the van crashed into it. The two rescuers were not injured, but they were transported to an area hospital for examination, according to Maggiolo.
DC Police say the investigation into what caused the driver of the white van to veer into oncoming traffic is still ongoing.
The video of the crash shows a woman and her dog running away from the spinning van as they attempted to cross the intersection.
D.C. rescuers were able to extricate the man, who was trapped inside the van. Witnesses told WUSA9 that the driver was speaking to firefighters during the rescue process and that he held a thumb up when he was finally out of the wreckage.
The wife of the driver arrived on scene and told reporters that her husband, who lives in Maryland, was on his way to pick up breakfast. She said the van did not belong to her husband, but to his friend.
D.C. public records show at least 17 tickets have been issued to the registered driver of the white van since February. The majority of the unpaid tickets, totaling more than $2,400, are for speeding.
Maggiolo says that although the crash is still under investigation, it serves as a reminder for all drivers, "If you're on the road, and you see an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens you need to pull to the right. That's the general rule of thumb. Pull to the right so we can safely respond to the scene."
Neighbors told WUSA9 that it not the first time they have seen crashes at this intersection, and after years of advocating, a stop light has been installed by the DC Department of Transportation. It is still in it's final stages and is not yet operational.
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