McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

Local News

August 7, 2009

UPDATE: Claims, lawsuit filed in ambulance wreck

By Kandra Wells

At least two claims have been filed against the city as a result of a February wreck in which a truck hit a city ambulance.

Geina Motley and Lowell Hendershott each seek unspecified damages of more than $10,000 for their injuries.

Hendershott was riding in the ambulance when it was hit by a semi-truck while crossing an intersection against a red light. The collision knocked the ambulance into Motley’s car, which was stopped for a light at the intersection of Carl Albert Parkway and Strong Boulevard.

The driver of the ambulance, Rodney Leamy, was later reprimanded for not slowing enough as he entered the intersection. Even though the ambulance’s lights and siren were on, Leamy’s failure to yield from the stoplight was cited as the only unsafe and/or unlawful contributing factor of the wreck, according to an accident report by the McAlester Police Department.

The report and Hendershott’s claim were obtained this week by the McAlester News-Capital after Freedom Of Information Act requests were filed with the city and the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.

Hendershott’s claim was filed with the city on Feb. 12, seven days after the wreck. Motley’s lawsuit was filed July 27 in Pittsburg County District Court. It also seeks damages from the driver of the semi-truck, Robin Creel, of Calera, the truck’s carrier, C.L. Trucking of Tecumseh, and its insurer.

Also released this week was a letter of reprimand to Leamy. In the letter, Fire Chief Harold Stewart cites the ambulance driver for not slowing enough to avoid the accident, in violation of fire department rules and regulations.

Leamy and fellow firefighter Jeremy Farris were both treated and released for injuries. Farris had been in the back of the ambulance with Hendershott at the time of the wreck.

“While you slowed, observed traffic in one or more directions, had your emergency lights and siren on, and used the horn, the accident still occurred, which one could conclude that you did not slow the vehicle enough to avoid an accident from happening,” Stewart’s letter states.

The letter of reprimand was to be added to Leamy’s permanent file for three years.

Contact Kandra Wells at kwells@mcalesternews.com.

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