Ambulance carrying patient crashes in East Mt. Airy; 6 injured

EAST MT. AIRY (WPVI) -- Six people are hospitalized after an ambulance carrying a patient crashed in East Mount Airy.

It happened after 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Chew Avenue and Washington Lane, when a private ambulance collided with two other vehicles.

The ambulance ended up on the sidewalk with an SUV, hitting the side of a laundromat with two apartments above it.

Witnesses said the ambulance had its siren and lights on as it approached the intersection.

They say the SUV pulled around a red Chevrolet that was stopped, and right into the path of the ambulance.

Witnesses say the patient in the ambulance appeared pretty banged up when he was taken out.

Six people, including that patient, were rushed to the hospital.

The other people injured included the ambulance driver and paramedic, the driver of the SUV and the woman and her passenger in the red Chevy.

The woman's son, Antonio Deshields, said she was taking his younger brother to high school orientation when it happened.

Police said none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

The impact of the crash shook up the residents who live in the two apartments above the laundromat.

The laundromat and the building it's attached to have been condemned by inspectors from Philadelphia Licenses and Inspections.

The gas line was ruptured and a major support beam has been severely damaged.

That means the residents of the two apartments upstairs cannot return to their homes until it's repaired.

Accident investigators were on the scene for more than three and a half hours after the accident happened.

It will be some time before they determine if anyone will be facing charges.