Long Beach ambulance crashes on way to beach rescue of child
Officials said a Long Beach Fire Department ambulance was involved in a crash at the intersection of Beech Street and Long Beach Boulevard in Long Beach on Sunday. The ambulance was responding to a report of a swimmer in distress at Neptune Boulevard and the ocean. Three people suffered injuries in the crash, including two firefighters at the scene of the crash. (July 14, 2013) Credit: Jim Staubitser
A Long Beach ambulance truck on its way to a beachside rescue of a child was involved in a two-vehicle crash Sunday that slightly injured both drivers, according to Long Beach Fire Department officials.
The ambulance was on its way to Neptune Boulevard Beach where a child, who was reportedly clinging to a jetty, was rescued by Long Beach lifeguards, said Long Beach Fire Commissioner Scott Kemins. The child, whose age was not immediately available, was taken to South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside in stable condition a little before 7 p.m.
At Long Beach Road and East Beech Street, the ambulance collided with a car, hitting an electric utility pole, Kemins said.
The two medics in the emergency vehicle and the driver of the car were taken to South Nassau Communities Hospital with minor injuries, and the cause of the accident was still under investigation, Kemins said.
Long Island Power Authority was called to fixed the broken pole, which caused a temporary power outage "isolated" to the area of the accident, Kemins said.
Newsday Investigates: Why football participation down big on LI ... Power outages across the Island ... Beach erosion from storm ... Knicks media day
Newsday Investigates: Why football participation down big on LI ... Power outages across the Island ... Beach erosion from storm ... Knicks media day
