A cyclist in Oregon was struck by an ambulance last year and the thoughtful rescue service scooped him and took him to the hospital, charging me $2,000 for the trip, of course.
William Hoesch, a 71-year-old cyclist, was out riding in Rainer, Oregon in October 2022, the Oregonian reports. He happened to be riding in the same direction as an ambulance from Columbia River Fire & Rescue. According to the suit filed on the behalf of Hoesch on October 24, when the ambulance attempted to make a right turn it hit Hoesch and destroyed his bike. The crash just so happened to occur right in front of the ambulance’s station. The driver of the ambulance and Hoesch have differing accounts on how fast the ambulance was going when it hit him:
According to police reports, the driver who struck Hoesch and a passenger in the ambulance estimated the ambulance was going between 2 mph and 10 mph when they heard a thump, stopped and saw Hoesch injured. Hoesch estimated to police that he was going 5 mph to 10 mph and said he didn’t think the ambulance was going to turn in front of him. His bicycle was crushed under the ambulance wheel.
The ambulance picked him and took him to the nearest hospital, but not before hitting him with a $1,862 bill for the ride. This is in addition to $47,000 in medical expenses and another $50,000 Hoesch and his lawyers say are expected in the future from his injuries. Despite the relative low speed of the crash, Hoesch injuries were bad, especially for a man in his seventies; he suffered a fractured nose along with “scrapes and other injuries across his body.”
Hoesch is now suing, seeking $997,000 in pain and suffering; Hoesch says he has long term injuries from the crash, including decreased range of motion and grip strength in his hands. Hoesch lawyers are arguing that his insurance coverage through Allstate for uninsured or underinsured motorists should cover the “damages that Columbia River Fire & Rescue is unable to.” Both Allstate and Columbia River Fire & Rescue declined to comment on the case.
According to the Oregonian, accidents involving ambulances are not unheard of in the Beaver State. In January 2024, 25-year-old Kelsey Seibel was killed by an ambulance after it made a left turn in front of her car. Her family filed a $6 million suit against the ambulance company in October. In July, another ambulance hit a car parked on the side of the road with a flat tire, killing 55-year old Gearldean Marin, though the Oregonian says no suit has been filed over that incident.
