Accident in action - Ambulance loses wheels - tampering suspected
After a fortunate accident involving a rescue vehicle in Essen, the fire department suspects that manipulation may have occurred prior to the incident. On the way back from a call on Saturday, the rear two wheels of the rescue vehicle came loose, as reported by the fire department. The vehicle was carrying a patient and two crew members; the vehicle overturned and was severely damaged, but no one was injured.
"We have not been able to find a reasonable cause as to why all wheel nuts could have come undone independently, and therefore we cannot exclude manipulation," said a spokesperson for the Essen fire department. The incident will be investigated by the police and an report will be filed against unknown individuals.
Only after neither the workshop nor those responsible for the fleet could find any technical reasons did the decision to take this step be made.
According to the fire department, the vehicle was in use on Saturday for various tasks, including around the AfD party demonstrations in the city. However, the accident in the evening occurred on the way back from a completely different call. There are also no concrete indications of a connection to the protests, said the fire department spokesperson. The police could provide no further information on the incident this evening.
"Given the lack of technical explanations for the wheel nuts coming loose, the North Rhine-Westphalia fire department's suspicion of manipulation remains a possibility."
"As the incident involved a rescue vehicle, the fire department has contacted the local fire department's ambulance service to ensure a thorough examination of the vehicle."
"In the aftermath of the accident, the Fire Department in North Rhine-Westphalia has reportedly taken extra precautions, conducting a rigorous inspection of all its vehicles to prevent any similar incidents due to manipulation."
