SHERIFF: Patient in Allegan County ambulance crash in serious, stable condition

A portion of northbound US-131 in Allegan County was closed for several hours Wednesday night after the driver of a silver pickup truck fell asleep and rear-ended an ambulance taking a patient to a Grand Rapids hospital. The ambulance flipped near the Wayland exit around 7 p.m. that evening, causing injuries to the patient -- who was already in need of critical care -- and two EMTs. Previous coverage: Ambulance carrying patient rear-ended by sleeping driver on US-131, three hospitalized Deputies on scene contacted Aeromed, and from there the patient was airlifted to the hospital where they are now in serious but stable condition, according to the Allegan County Sheriff's Office. The driver struck the ambulance on the left rear side of the vehicle, deputies said. The reason why the driver fell asleep is still under investigation, but deputies said that person has been cooperating and has not been charged with any crimes. Battle Creek: Teen involved in Jack Snyder murder cleared for release, put on probation "We're exploring every avenue at this point in time to try to determine exactly what happened," Sergeant Kyle Baker with the Allegan County Sheriff's Office said. One EMT suffered serious injuries while another suffered minor ones, according to Baker, who highlighted the seriousness of the crash. "These are very dangerous situations to be involved in a vehicle crash of that nature for a healthy person," he said. "So, when you start to add in additional medical concerns, it can become extremely dangerous for a patient." The sheriff's office is now in the preliminary stages of the investigation process, including following up on evidence collected at the initial scene and checking for impairment factors from the driver. Once the investigation is complete, more information will be released.