Story By: Elena Kalioglo, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
Video Credit: CEN/@spb_today
This is the shocking moment a Lada driver playing loud music fails to notice an ambulance and smashes into the side of it – sending it spinning over onto its side and leaving five people injured.
The accident occurred on 10th September on the aptly named Road of Life in Vsevolozhsk which is a town in the Leningrad Oblast region in Russia.
According to the local Department of the State Inspectorate for Road Safety in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region the 22-year-old driver of the VAZ-2109, also known as a Lada Samara, had pulled forward when the lights turn green but failed to notice the ambulance which was travelling with its siren and flashing lights on.
As a result of the collision, both the ambulance and the car driver were injured, as well as two medics who were in the ambulance but who were not named but who are said to be 51 and 24, and the 75-year-old patient.
The injured were taken by ambulance themselves to the Vsevolozhsk regional hospital and eyewitnesses were quoted as saying in local media that although the ambulance could clearly be heard, they noted that the Lada had the music blaring at full volume.
Police are investigating reports that the Lada driver was well known for playing music at full volume and warned that tough new laws about failing to give way for an ambulance now applied. They said it could mean a criminal conviction and a fine of up to 5,000 RUB (62 GBP) or even jail if any of those inside the ambulance turned out to be badly injured.
However, online commentators are divided as to whether the Lada driver should be blamed even if he had been listening to loud music.
‘Sergey Miguno’ said: “The ambulance driver is clearly in the wrong.”
And ‘MK MK’ said: “He is a moron in the ambulance. In general, an ambulance has no right to drive like this, the ambulance driver must follow the road and not kill the patient.”
While ‘Mount Uvarov’ added: “This is only possible in impoverished Russia.”
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