Police: Wrong-Way, Drunken Driver Injures NY Medic in Crash

    Dec. 16, 2020
    An alleged drunken driver traveling the wrong way struck a Nassau County Police Department ambulance responding to a call, injuring a paramedic inside, according to police.
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    Ambulance Front Pby 5fda35c21232d

    A New York paramedic was injured when an ambulance was struck by an alleged drunken driver traveling the wrong way early Sunday.

    The accident involving a Nassau County Police Department ambulance happened just before 2:30 a.m. in Baldwin as it was responding to an aided call with its emergency lights on, according to police. That's when a 2006 Hummer traveling east in the westbound lanes of the road cut across the center median and struck the front driver side of the ambulance.

    The driver, Joaquin Cabrera, fled the crash scene and was found by officers in the SUV a short time later. According to police, Cabrera's eyes were bloodshot, his speech was slurred, and a strong odor of alcohol beverage was on his breath.

    The paramedic was taken to the hospital with a broken left hand, a dislocated left ulna and pain along the neck and back. Cabrera—who also was taken to the hospital for an unrelated illness—was charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated, third-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving.

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