Ambulance crash raises fresh safety fears on road
THE driver of an ambulance rapid response vehicle had a lucky escape after it rolled over on a busy road.
It happened just before 10am yesterday morning on the Belfast Road in Carrickfergus.
The ambulance was in collision with another car that was emerging onto the Belfast Road from Castlerocklands — a notorious junction on that road.
Back in August 2014 a female driver lost her life at the same junction.
According to witnesses, the ambulance vehicle was in collily sion with the car driven by an elderly man.
The ambulance rolled at least twice, scattering medical equipment, including a defibrillator, along the road, before it came to a rest on the pavement against a street light.
The ambulance was damaged following the crash, but no-one was injured.
However, the incident has led to fresh concerns over road safety. Attempts have been made to improve safety, including banning right turns at other busy junctions, but accidents are still occurring.
Local DUP councillor Cheryl Johnston said she has continual raised concerns about the Belfast Road.
“I am sorry to hear about yet another crash on the Belfast Road and I am glad there were no serious injuries sustained by either driver,” she said.
“I urge all road users in this area to be more aware of the traffic on this really busy road.
“I am the secretary of the road safety committee in Carrickfergus and we meet monthly to discuss ongoing issues like this. The committee will meet again this
month following summer break and I will certainly raise this accident blackspot again.”
Plans to introduce a 20mph speed zone adjacent to the Carrickfergus Model Primary School, which is just metres from the scene, were discussed last year and should start soon, she said.
PSNI officers and another ambulance crew attended the scene of yesterday’s collision.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said: “A NIAS Rapid Response Vehicle
was involved in a road traffic collision in Carrickfergus while responding to an emergency call.
“The original call was a Category B (non-life-threatening) call and, once informed about the collision, NIAS immediately despatched another crew to it.
“NIAS despatched one emergency ambulance crew and a paramedic officer to the road traffic incident where, thankfully, following assessment at the scene, no one required transport to hospital,” it added.