Wrong-Way Driver Slams into MA Ambulance Carrying Patient

A wrong-way driver on the Massachusetts Turnpike is in critical condition and will face charges after slamming into an ambulance carrying a patient in Natick, police said.

The two ambulance personnel, a 45-year-old and 38 year-old males, suffered minor injuries, said Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio. The ambulance patient, a 49-year-old woman, suffered "potential" minor injuries, Procopio said.

State Police observed the wrong-way driver heading west on the eastbound side of the Pike "traveling at an excessive speed and weaving between lanes," just after 3 a.m.

Because of the danger, troopers set out a tire deflation device, which the driver hit. Before stopping, the vehicle skidded for another few seconds and crashed into the ambulance near exit 13 in Natick.

The wrong-way driver was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries and is in critical condition, police said. Procopio said the driver did not have any identification on him at the time of the crash and police are still trying to confirm his identity.

The license plates on the car belonged to a different vehicle, police said.

The ambulance personnel and patient were also taken to Mass General Hospital.

The crash shut down the Pike in the eastbound direction until just before 6 a.m.

The crash remains under investigation. Among other things, police are still trying to determine why the driver was traveling in the wrong direction and where he jumped on the highway, said Procopio said.

Procopio did not detail the charges and said they would be determined by the investigation.

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