ORLANDO, Fla. – A fatal two-vehicle crash involving an ambulance left one person dead and forced authorities to close a major roadway in Orlando, according to police.
The wreck happened around 2:45 a.m. at Edgewater Drive and West Smith Street.
[TRENDING: Remaining Fla. condo tower demolished | What ‘dirty side’ of storm means]
Orlando police said an Orlando Fire Department rescue vehicle and a Kia sedan collided, sending the ambulance into an electrical pole and Macbeth Studio, an art gallery on Edgewater Drive. One person in the car died and two others were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center with serious injuries, police said.
Police said the Kia hit the driver’s side of the ambulance when the fire rescue vehicle entered the intersection. The department identified the passenger who died as 24-year-old Kameron J. Payne from Apopka.
Officials said the Kia caught fire and two EMTs in the ambulance extinguished the flames and rendered aid to the surviving victims.
The car involved in this crash is unrecognizable as it’s being loaded onto a tow truck. https://t.co/AtMQ8oKzpE pic.twitter.com/NGh7XEV0bj
— Mark Lehman (@MarkLehman6) July 9, 2021
The occupants of the OFD vehicle were taken to Advent Health, but they did not suffer serious injuries, according to police.
The ambulance was not responding to a call at the time of the crash and did not have its lights or sirens activated, according to officials, who added that there was not a patient on board.
There is no obvious structural damage to the building, police said.
Edgewater Drive was closed northbound at West Princeton Street and southbound at Vassar Street, it reopened shortly before 11 a.m. Westbound Smith Street from Edgewater Drive was closed while crews work to repair a damaged power pole and wires but reopened around 3 p.m., according to police.
No other details on the crash have been released.
Edgewater Drive and Smith Street remain shutdown after a crash involving an @OrlandoFireDept rescue unit. One person inside the car is dead and two seriously hurt. The people inside the rescue unit had minor injuries. pic.twitter.com/JYtqI1EmRI
— Mark Lehman (@MarkLehman6) July 9, 2021
Orlando’s Transportation Systems Manager, Cade Braud, said the city is looking at ways to deal with speeding issues in that area.
“Over the years we have received some calls and some emails about speeding,” Braud said. “We’ve been working for several years now on different strategies for speed management.”
He added that some traffic calming devices are already in place.
“These are devices that you drive over. It’s a device that are used to keep the speeds at a certain level on a street. So, some of that work has been done more recently on the southern part of Edgewater drive,” Braud said.
People living and working in the area have said speeding has been a problem in the area.
“It’s definitely hazardous.” Paul Hughart, owner of New Moon Market said. “I’ve literally I’ve had to run out of the way of cars myself.”