Ambulance Rollover

A Southwest Health ambulance transporting a patient to a Madison hospital was involved in a single vehicle rollover Monday afternoon. The accident happened about 12:30 pm on Highway 18/151 near the Highway H overpass at Ridgeway as the ambulance was buffeted by winds in a heavy downpour.

The patient and one of the two member EMT crew aboard escaped life-threatening injury. The EMT providing care in the rear of the ambulance was transported to Upland Hills in Dodgeville and later taken to UW Hospital in Madison with a major laceration to the head as well as two fractured vertebrae.

“Safety of our patients and crew is always our first priority,” said Southwest Health EMS Director Brian Allen. “Performing transports, especially those in challenging weather conditions, is not free of risk, and the responsibility to anticipate and reduce or eliminate risk is a duty we all take very seriously. Here at Southwest Health, we are pursuing an internal analysis to understand the risks and systematically ensure everyone’s safety at all times. I know how dedicated this team of first-responders is, and I know they want everyone out there to know they are professionals, each of whom is personally committed to both safety and taking care of our communities.”

Southwest Health’s EMS team is 28 members strong and includes three ambulances. A temporary ambulance vehicle will be rented to ensure the readiness of first-responders during the process of securing a permanent replacement vehicle.

The accident remains under investigation by law enforcement as well as by Southwest Health officials.