STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. — A 36-year-old man from North Branch died after an ambulance transporting him overturned in a crash with another vehicle in Sterling Heights.
The crash happened at the intersection of Van Dyke and Metropolitan Parkway on Sunday around 6 p.m. Police say the ambulance was traveling southbound on Van Dyke with its emergency lights and siren activated when it was struck by a Jeep.
“[The ambulance] went through that intersection, upon going through, they were struck by a vehicle that was traveling EB on Metropolitan Pkwy," Sterling Height Police Lt. Lamar Kashat said. "They were hit on the side passenger, that ambulance did roll and there were occupants in that ambulance that did sustain injuries."
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The staff member in the rear of the Aspire Rural Health System ambulance was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. Both drivers sustained non-life-threatening injuries. However, the 36-year-old patient being transported died at a local hospital.
7 News Detroit reached out to Aspire Rural Health System, based out of Cass City, Michigan, to get additional information about why the patient was being transported and his condition even prior to the crash, but have not yet heard back.
Investigators are still working to determine what led up to the crash.
"Speed, whether the lights were green, red, in what direction, we're still obtaining witness information," Lt. Kashat said. "The circumstances resulting in the patients death is still under investigation."
For one nearby resident, the crash was not a surprise. Lauren Haight says speeding and distracted driving have become a problem in the area, and that it's been one bad crash after another in her city.
"I've seen quite a few bad accidents in the last couple of months, and it's just honestly a little terrifying," Haight said. "I've seen it where the light turns green and there's ambulance coming and people still want to go through the light, like will not yield to them. So it's been pretty bad when it comes to this area."
Lt. Kashat says Van Dyke and Metropolitan Parkway is a known problem intersection, and police are steadfast on making it safer.
"We've put in a lot of things in place recently at that intersection, we've established our Safe Road Task Force, we also have our Traffic Calming Task Force and we have our Safe Streets Initiative," he said.
While the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, Lt. Kashat reminds everyone to slow down and pull off to the right if they see or hear an emergency vehicle.
This is still very much an active investigation, and Sterling Heights police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to reach out to Officer Porter of the Traffic Safety Bureau at 586-446-2920.
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