Paramedic Tim Crosbie demonstrated his expertise on Tuesday in Peabody, Massachusetts, swiftly reacting to prevent a potentially disastrous highway collision. His quick thinking not only safeguarded himself and his partner but also ensured the safety of their patient.
Video of the incident shot from a dashcam on the ambulance shows that Crosbie was driving on I-95 in snowy conditions, which hampered visibility. As he approached an overpass, what appears to be a white Dodge Charger emerged from the median, and started rolling towards him.
“Next thing I see out of the corner of my left eye is a car coming across the median,” Crosbie told NBC10 Boston. “Basically right at me.”
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The Charger had been driving in the opposite direction when it lost control, perhaps due to the adverse conditions. State police said that as it crossed from the northbound lanes to the southbound lanes, it hit a guardrail, turned perpendicular to the road, hit a raised patch of ground, and started rolling towards the ambulance.
“I had to make the last minute decision — or last second decision to turn left or turn right, and just the way it was coming at me, you know, I chose to go right,” Crosbie told WCVB. “And obviously, it was the right decision to make.”
After avoiding the oncoming vehicle, Crosbie pulled over and exited the ambulance, leaving his partner, Tim Wareham, to tend to their patient as went to check on the driver of the Charger.
Crosbie admits that he was “expecting the worst” when he approached the vehicle, because of the severity of the accident. However, as he got closer, the driver was able to roll down his window, and “he appeared to be fine. He was just was scared to death,” according to the ambulance driver.
Fortunately, Crosbie and Wareham were able to continue to Mass General Hospital with their patient following the incident.