ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / December 15, 1999

RESERVE – Two Acadian Ambulance paramedics were injured and taken to River Parishes Hospital after their ambulance slammed into the back of a garbage truck at the intersection of Central Avenue and Airline Highway 8 a.m. Tuesday.The garbage truck, owned by Fred Trosclair Inc. and driven by HaroldSingleton of Reserve, was attempting to make a left turn from Central Avenue onto Airline Highway. Singleton said he was on his way to thedump.

The ambulance was on its way to a call in Reserve, Steve Kuiper of Acadian said. Both crew members wore seat belts, Kuiper added. Singleton said he had the green light at the time of the accident.

“I was in the middle of the highway waiting for traffic to clear so I could make a left turn when I hear a siren come on,” reported Singleton. “I lookedover and saw the ambulance sliding toward me with the lights and siren on. I couldn’t get out of the way.”According to Singleton, the ambulance slid into the back of the pickup truck crushing the cab of the ambulance. Neither Singleton nor his truckwere injured in the mishap.

Singleton has been driving for Trosclair Inc for seven months and said he has never been in a wreck before.

Singleton said one of the ambulance attendants was walking around after the wreck, and the other seemed to be hyperventilating.

An Acadian Ambulance employee on the scene of the wreck refused to be identified but said the two injured paramedics, a male and a female, have been working for the company for about two years.

“We have a very vigorous safe-driving course for our drivers,” said the employee. “I can’t really tell you what happened at this time.”River Parishes Hospital spokesman Sean Roussel said both ambulance attendants were treated and released.

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