Chattanooga police responded to two serious traffic accidents today, one of which resulted in a fatality.
The first accident happened around 4 a.m. on southbound Interstate 75 when an ambulance transporting a patient to Erlanger hospital collided with a vehicle, according to department spokeswoman Sgt. Jerri Weary.
Traffic investigators and witnesses on the scene said the ambulance had just entered I-75 from East Brainerd Road and was in the right lane when a Honda Accord driven by Irma Franco pulled over to allow the unit to pass. Just as the ambulance attempted to pass, the Honda re-entered the lane into the pathway of the ambulance causing the collision,.
All involved in the crash suffered injuries and were taken to Erlanger for treatment ranging from head injuries to bruises and abrasions, Weary said.
The victim in the back of the ambulance who was suffering cardiac distress also was reinjured in the collision but is expected to survive, Weary said. Charges against Franco are pending further investigation, she said.
The second traffic accident occurred just before 6 a.m. at 2300 Tunnel Blvd. when a single vehicle crashed into a utility pole, Weary said.
The driver of the vehicle, for reasons unknown, lost control of the vehicle and skidded off the roadway into a utility pole, Weary said. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation but speed is believed to be a factor, Weary said.
The identity of the driver will not be released until next of kin has been notified, she said.