Portage Firefighters Involved In A Head On Collision Wednesday
On Wednesday, February 12th at approximately 2:43 PM Portage Officers responded to the area of the Willowcreek Bypass south of Crisman Road in reference to a report of a motor vehicle collision involving a Portage Fire Department ambulance, according to a Portage press release.
Initial reports indicate that a white 2013 Chevrolet Equinox was traveling southbound over the Willowcreek Bypass at an unsafe speed for the road conditions. The combination of excessive speed and snow-covered roads caused the driver of the SUV to lose control and cross the center line into the northbound lanes. The SUV side-swiped a northbound delivery truck before striking a Portage Fire Department ambulance head-on that was traveling northbound in the outside lane.
At the time of the collision the ambulance was returning to the fire station and there were no patients inside, Portage Police stated. The ambulance was occupied by three Portage Fire Department medics, two of whom complained of pain, but no other injuries were reported. All four medics were transported to the hospital for evaluation.
Evidence indicates that the driver of the SUV was not wearing a seatbelt, and during the collision he was thrown from the driver’s seat into the passenger side of his vehicle, where he suffered a serious head injury rendering him unconscious. Several medical helicopters were requested but none were able to fly due to the weather conditions. The driver of the SUV has been identified as a thirty-six-year-old Hobart man. He was transported via ambulance to a local hospital and is expected to survive.
The Chevrolet Equinox and the ambulance were both towed from the scene due to disabling damage. The Willowcreek Bypass was closed to all traffic for approximately an hour and half before being reopened. Portage Police thanked the Portage Street Department for their assistance in setting up barricades to keep traffic out of the area during this investigation.
