A New York woman was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after crashing into an ambulance that was preparing to transport an injured man to the hospital, sending his stretcher tumbling into the street and leaving him with additional injuries.
The unusual crash happened around 2:15 a.m. Sunday, October 18, on Main Street in Bay Shore, Long Island, where members of the Islip Fire Department were responding to an earlier emergency.
According to the Suffolk County Police Department, emergency personnel were loading a 26-year-old man into the back of an ambulance near the intersection of Main Street and Third Avenue when a 2017 Honda Accord struck the emergency vehicle.
The ambulance was stationary with its emergency lights flashing at the time.
The impact caused the stretcher carrying the injured man to roll out of the ambulance and overturn, knocking him onto the pavement, according to local news station News 12 Long Island.
The patient, who had already required emergency medical attention before the collision, suffered additional injuries but was not seriously hurt.
A second ambulance had to be dispatched to transport him to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police confirmed that his injuries were not life-threatening and that nobody else was injured in the crash.
Authorities identified the Honda driver as Edith Cairo, 32, of Islip.
Officers from the Suffolk County Police Department’s Third Precinct responded to the scene and determined that Cairo was allegedly intoxicated. She was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Security footage obtained by News 12 captured the collision, showing the ambulance stopped with its emergency lights activated before the Honda struck it.
Matt Esposito, an assistant manager at the nearby Sweet Jane Cocktail Bar, told the station that he had initially gone outside after noticing an injured man on the sidewalk.
He watched emergency responders arrive to help the patient before hearing the collision.
“Out of nowhere, we heard a little more of a thud than a crash,” Esposito recalled, describing the moment he realized the ambulance had been struck.
The witness also alleged that the Honda driver moved into the nearby crowd and appeared to be attempting to leave the scene before police located her. Authorities have not announced any additional charges related to that allegation.
Cairo was taken to the Third Precinct and held overnight pending her court appearance.
Police scheduled her arraignment for Sunday, October 18, at First District Court in Central Islip. News 12 subsequently reported that she was arraigned that day, although details of her plea and any bail conditions were not immediately available.
The circumstances leading up to the collision, including the driver’s alleged level of intoxication, have not been publicly detailed.
The incident highlights the risks emergency responders face while treating patients along busy roadways, even when their vehicles are stationary and warning lights are activated.
In New York, the state’s Move Over Law requires drivers approaching stopped emergency vehicles displaying warning lights to exercise caution, slow down and, when possible and safe, move into another lane.
Investigators have not announced any additional charges in connection with the crash.
