The ambulance belonging to Lewis County Fire District 8 is damaged from an elk on the freeway. / Courtesy photo by Spring Hughes-Witham
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Two members of the Salkum fire department and the patient in the back of their ambulance were hospitalized after colliding with an elk on Interstate 5 south of Chehalis overnight.
It happened as they were northbound approaching the milepost 72 interchange for Napavine, according to Lewis County Fire District 8.
“They were transporting a patient to Providence, had an elk walk out in front of them, it was about five points,” Fire Chief Duran McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the patient was uninjured from the incident and was transferred to an ambulance with Lewis County District 5 and taken on to the hospital.
Neither the driver nor the firefighter-EMT who was in the back had life threatening injuries, according to McDaniel. They were transported to Providence Centralia Hospital as well, he said.
He said he wasn’t yet sure if the ambulance was repairable or would be totaled.
“The passenger compartment was intact but the front end was pushed in,” he said.
McDaniel said he was just preparing to head home after responding to assist with the call in Ethel for the fall victim and saw a message on his cell phone from his crew, about 2:20 a.m.: “We hit an elk, everybody appears to be okay,” was the message, he said,
The ambulance was taken to nearby Braun Northwest, the place where it was built in 2008, he said. District 8 has two other ambulances, he said.
Umm…Cooter…did the elk smoke a cigarette after or just bugle??
Don’t take his comment to heart!! He’s jst a jealous hunter that has never got his own 5pt!!!
I have whacked an elk or two. I too am a hero. Thanks for the praise Driver 1
“Still waiting”…are you morally dense or dumb as a hockey puck?
I serve as a volunteer fireman/ aid driver within Lewis County, and I choose not to share my identity, for obvious reasons. That driver deserves your praise and admiration, NOT scorn and sarcasm.
IF you want to be that “ignorant”…get the guts to tell your local fire chief who you are and what you said. Give him your address, so they wont drive beyond the speed limit when you need help
My hopes and prayers go out to those three victims and heroes!
we need compete reporting….was the elk injured? did it really have 5 points or was it speculation?
Thank goodness everyone is OK. The life of a first responder is tough enough without road hazards!