Patient Flees Ambulance, Is Hit and Killed in Traffic

He ran across 5 lanes of traffic, then back into traffic
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 18, 2016 2:00 PM CDT
Patient Flees Ambulance, Is Hit and Killed in Traffic
Stock image   (Shutterstock)

A patient bolted from an ambulance, ran across five lanes of traffic, and was struck and killed by cars, shutting down early morning traffic Monday on one of metro Atlanta's busiest interstates. The ambulance was transporting the patient to Grady Memorial Hospital for an evaluation shortly before 4:45am when he became agitated and removed his restraints, police said. Atlanta police Officer Kim Jones said the ambulance pulled over on the shoulder of the Downtown Connector, where Interstates 75 and 85 merge, and the patient got out and ran across five lanes of traffic. Police said he then tried to run back into traffic, where he was hit by a Honda Accord, the AP reports.

"The victim was then trapped under another vehicle where he died from his injuries," Jones said in a statement. The crash blocked all northbound lanes of the freeway for a time, leading to a massive traffic jam at the start of the morning rush hour. The Downtown Connector is a key thoroughfare through the heart of downtown Atlanta, carrying more than 350,000 vehicles per day, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. By 6:30am Monday, nearly two hours after the death, the freeway returned to normal traffic. (More Atlanta stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X