A Cherokee EMS ambulance was involved in an accident, while returning from Birmingham last Monday night.

According to Bobby Joe Smith, the ambulance was traveling on I-59 at around 10:00pm, near the Springville/Odenville Exit, when it struck a vehicle that had just been involved in an accident.

The vehicle was situated beneath the underpass, with no lights on, and it was sitting crossways in the middle of the roadway when it was struck by the ambulance.  Afterwards, the first car was hit by another motorist.

Fortunately, no one was hurt during that mishap.  The ambulance personnel consisting of a driver and another employee were both shaken up but otherwise okay; the second motorist also avoided injury and the man driving the vehicle that had wrecked initially was already out of the car by the time the other accidents took place.

There was no patient in the ambulance at that time – as it was returning to Cherokee County after transporting a patient to Birmingham.

Early indications are that the ambulance – which was the newest one in the Cherokee EMS fleet, purchased just last year – was totaled.

An adjuster is reportedly coming today (Tuesday) to begin the process of replacing the vehicle as fast as possible.

All in all, it was amazing that no one was hurt in the series of crashes.