Terre Haute Police Department releases statement on fatal ambulance crash
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— Terre Haute Police Department has released a lengthy statement about its investigation into an April 15 ambulance wreck that left one girl dead and sent another to a hospital.
'While the investigation remains ongoing, we are releasing several verified facts in an effort to provide clarity, address community concerns, and combat the spread of misinformation,' they wrote in a statement.
They added that at 7:15 p.m., Trans-Care was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident. As the ambulance headed to the scene they had their emergency lights activated, according to the statement.
'As the ambulance entered the intersection of South 13th Street and Wheeler Avenue, where there is no stop sign for southbound traffic, it was struck on the driver's side by an electric bicycle occupied by two juveniles,' officials wrote. 'The juveniles were traveling westbound through a posted stop sign on Wheeler Avenue.'
The post states that Trans-Care staff, along with the assistance of the Terre Haute Police Department and the Terre Haute Fire Department, who responded minutes later, rendered aid to the two girls and requested additional emergency response. Both girls were then taken to local hospitals, where one later died from their injuries and the other was life-lined to an Indianapolis-area hospital, where they are still receiving care.
'Trans-Care staff have been fully cooperative with the investigation. The ambulance driver voluntarily submitted to toxicology screening immediately following the incident and Trans-Care has released their dash cam video for the investigation,' police wrote. 'Trans-Care vehicle speeds have been determined to be between 37.4 mph and 40 mph at the time of the collision, with 37.4 mph calculated by THPD Accident Reconstructionist and 40 mph recorded by the ambulance's onboard video system.'
Investigators verified this information in multiple ways, THPD wrote.
'These details have been confirmed through dash camera footage, security camera footage, advanced accident reconstruction techniques, and statements provided by those involved,' the statement reads. 'This incident is a heartbreaking tragedy. Our thoughts remain with the families affected, and we ask for the community's continued support and patience as the investigation moves forward.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Honduran man charged in murder of Chelsea 17-year-old Juan Carlos Lemus
Advertisement Flor Daniela Lemus is the mother of homicide victim Juan Carlos Lemus, a 17-year-old Chelsea high schooler. She is with a photograph taken of him in El Salvador by his father. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff On Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Cailin Campbell said Lopez-Padilla and another man, Ezer Ramirez-Maldonado, approached Lemus and his friend and attacked them. 'The defendant and Ramirez-Maldonado stabbed the two juveniles,' Campbell said in court. 'One died from his injuries, the other survived.' Ramirez-Maldonado fled the country before he was apprehended, Campbell said. Another alleged accomplice, a 17-year-old Chelsea resident, has been charged with one count of accessory after the fact and will be arraigned in juvenile court. Lemus mother, Flor Daniela Lemus, sat in the front row of the courtroom during the arraignment. She could not look Lopez-Padilla in the eyes, as she wanted; he was kept out of view, in a chamber adjacent to the courtroom. In a brief interview, Lemus said she did not yet know how to feel, but was looking forward to her son's killer being held to account. Advertisement 'It's what I'm waiting for: justice,' she said. Campbell said Lopez-Padilla was in the country illegally and was an 'extreme flight risk' with few community ties to Chelsea. Juan Carlos Lemus was born in an Iowa hospital and spent his early childhood in San Salvador, his mother's home city. In 2015, the year he and his mother moved to Chelsea, the collapse of a truce between rival gangs MS-13 and Barrio 18 led to a massive spike in homicides in El Salvador, giving the country the . In an interview last month, Lemus' mother said she brought her son to the United States to escape gang violence and give him a chance at a peaceful life. 'I wanted to give my son a better education,' she said. 'A better future.' Rates of violence against young people have increased in Chelsea in recent years, even as overall violent crime has dropped since 2016, when authorities arrested dozens of Boston-area members of the international criminal organization MS-13 in a There were 67 violent crimes reported in Chelsea against people 18 or younger in 2023, a 45 percent increase over the previous year, according to a Globe analysis of Chelsea Police data. Those crimes dropped last year but spiked again in the first four months of 2025. This year, more than half of those victims are 15 or younger, including the friend of Juan Carlos who was stabbed in the same incident. Lemus, who works at a check cashing business in Chelsea, described her son as a sharp, well-behaved kid, who never saw or experienced violence at home. Advertisement 'My house was full of values, honor, and respect,' she said. But he was the target of bullying in middle school, which contributed to severe depression, Lemus said. In 2022, Juan Carlos fatally stabbed the father of a classmate, who had confronted him with a gun after the boys got into a fight. 'After that, he was never the same,' Lemus said. 'He always had a dark stare.' Last year, Middlesex prosecutors charged Juan Carlos with manslaughter as an adult. The case was dismissed after his death. Dan Glaun can be reached at
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
California insurance regulator launches investigation into State Farm over claims from LA fires
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's top insurance regulator on Thursday launched an investigation into State Farm over the company's handling of claims from the January Los Angeles-area wildfires. The investigation comes after survivors of the Palisades and Eaton fires said that the state's largest home insurer was delaying and mishandling claims regarding damage to their homes and possible contamination from smoke. The blazes destroyed thousands of buildings around Los Angeles, killed 30 people and displaced thousands of others. They were estimated to be among the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said the investigation will review whether the company complied with state consumer protection and claim-handling laws. 'Californians deserve fair and comprehensive treatment from their insurance companies," the Democrat said in a statement. "No one should be left in uncertainty, forced to fight for what they are owed, or face endless delays that often lead consumers to give up.' State Farm, which has about 1 million home insurance customers in California, said it will cooperate with the state's review. The insurer has received roughly 13,000 claims related to the fires and has paid out about $4 billion to customers, the company said. 'We're here to help our customers recover and we empathize with those who are rebuilding their lives,' State Farm said in a statement. 'Our focus continues to be on supporting our customers in their recovery from the largest fire event we have ever experienced.' Survivors of the Eaton fire in Altadena have raised concerns about possible lead, asbestos and heavy metal contamination in their homes because of smoke. State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Democrat representing Pasadena, in April called on Lara to launch a probe into the alleged mishandling of claims. 'The survivors of the Los Angeles County fires are experiencing financial and emotional hardships due to State Farm's delays and denials of their valid insurance claims," she and other lawmakers said at the time. "Despite years of faithfully paying premiums, they have been met with excessive documentation demands, denial of claims despite clear evidence, a convoluted and arduous claims process, and silence when seeking help after the disaster.' Lara said homeowners should file formal complaints regarding State Farm's handling of claims to help the state take action. The Department of Insurance announced a task force last month to recommend best practices for addressing smoke damage. Insurers including State Farm had difficulty doing business in California even before the wildfires. In 2023, State Farm and others stopped issuing residential policies because of the wildfire risk. Last year, Lara unveiled regulations aimed at giving insurers more latitude to raise premiums in exchange for more policies in high-risk areas. State Farm said at the time the company was struggling. The wildfires, which destroyed more than 16,000 buildings, made matters even worse. In May, state regulators allowed State Farm to raise premiums 17% statewide for its California home insurance customers to help the company rebuild its capital after the costly wildfires. State Farm initially sought a 22% rate increase for homeowners but revised it down a recent hearing before an administrative judge. The new rates in effect this month include a 38% hike for rental owners and 15% for tenants. People who lost homes in the fires sued in April, alleging State Farm and other insurers colluded to 'suddenly and simultaneously' drop coverage or halt writing new policies in fire-prone areas, including areas that burned. That left the homeowners underinsured and struggling to rebuild, the lawsuit alleges. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association, the largest national trade association representing home, auto and business insurers, called the lawsuits meritless, saying it monitors to ensure its members comply with the state's antitrust laws. ___ Associated Press writer Mead Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming. ___ Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Gurnee-area man, who allegedly expressed a desire to kill someone, charged with shooting family member in face
An 18-year-old Gurnee-area man, who reportedly had expressed a desire to kill someone, is in custody after he allegedly shot a family member in the face, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said. Authorities identified him as Francis Lodesky of the 34000 block of Illinois Route 21. Police said they were called to the residence at about 8:35 p.m. Wednesday after receiving reports that someone had been shot. Arriving officers found a 61-year-old man who is related to Lodesky with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to an area hospital and is expected to survive, police said. Police said the man was in his bedroom talking on the phone when Lodesky entered the room and shot him in the face with a .410-caliber revolver loaded with birdshot. Officers recovered the gun, along with 50 others at the residence. The firearms were removed and placed into evidence, police said. 'Based on information gathered thus far, the shooting appears to be unprovoked and Lodesky had the desire to kill someone,' the sheriff's office said in a media release. Lodesky was charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.
