Oct. 14--KNOXVILLE -- A Blaine man faces several traffic citations after allegedly slamming a car today into a Knoxville Volunteer Emergency Rescue Squad truck rushing to the aid of people involved in another crash.
Robert Bowlin, 30, faces charges of failure to yield to emergency equipment, no proof of insurance, driving on a revoked license, violation of the state seat belt law and violation of the vehicle registration law, according to Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk.
He and his passenger, Brittany Wallace, 20, of Rutledge, were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center where they were listed in stable condition, DeBusk said.
Neither Bowlin nor Wallace were using seat belts, DeBusk said. He said the safety devices had been removed from the 1985 Toyota Corolla he was driving.
The Rescue Squad driver, Chris Tunkel, 39, was not injured, said Leigh Ann Cate, executive director of the Rescue Squad.
Bowlin was driving the Corolla northbound on Rutledge Pike when the car struck a Rescue Squad crash truck at the intersection with Chilhowee Drive about 9:43 a.m.
Cate said Tunkel came to a stop at the intersection and then proceeded when the impact occurred. Tunkel got out of the wrecked truck and tended to Wallace and Blaine until other emergency personnel arrived.
"Our preliminary internal investigation shows he followed all Rescue Squad policies," Cate said.
The impact took the crash truck out of service, but the Rescue Squad has another crash truck to send to wrecks, Cate said.
