Day County, SD – An ambulance from the Day County Ambulance Service caught fire while transporting a patient northbound on I-29, leading to a dramatic rescue. The ambulance driver quickly halted in lane one, assisting the other EMT in evacuating the patient from the rear of the vehicle before flames engulfed it.
According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the patient was safely transferred to a Breckenridge-Wahpeton Ambulance and taken to Sanford Hospital in Fargo. Despite the ambulance being a total loss, no injuries were reported from the fire. The northbound lanes of I-29 were closed for approximately 45 minutes while firefighters extinguished the blaze and cleared the scene.
While the highway was closed due to the ambulance fire, a BMW triggered a secondary four-vehicle crash about a mile south of the initial incident. Traffic had come to a stop when the BMW rear-ended another vehicle, causing a chain reaction that struck two additional cars. Nine occupants were involved in this secondary collision, with at least five transported to hospitals in Fargo with various injuries.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol is continuing its investigation into both incidents. Further updates on the crash and the condition of those injured are expected later today.
