Florence, SC : Man charged with DUI in head-on ambulance crash on Church Street in Florence on Wednesday, March 9, 2016
The Florence County EMS released the names of the two crew members who were involved in a head-on collision on March 9.
FCEMS Public Information Officer Sgt. Billy Hatchell said the two crew members are Paramedic Crew Chief Sgt. Tessie Odom-Smith, 47, of Pamplico and EMT Crew Member Pvt. Joshua Craig, 29, of Florence.
According to Hatchell, Craig was treated for his injuries at a Florence area hospital and has been released. Odom-Smith suffered serious and life-threatening injuries during the crash and is currently in the Intensive Care Unit in critical condition.
The accident occurred around 5 a.m. on the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge on Church Street. A Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by Jody Lynn Heglar of Norwood, NC was traveling east on the bridge when he drifted into the west-bound lanes and ran head on into an ambulance driven by Odom-Smith and Craig.
Major Carlos Raines of the Florence Police Department said Heglar was treated and released from the hospital and was transported to the Florence County Detention Center. Heglar was arrested and charged with felony DUI and driving with a suspended license.
A GoFundMe page has been setup for crew chief Odom-Smith, who suffered serious and life-threatening injuries during the crash. In less than 24 hours, the page has raised over $9,000 for Odom-Smith and her family.
“Donations are coming in from all over the state as well as all over the United States,” said an update on the GoFundMe page. “This woman as well as all other EMS, fire department put their lives on the line every day to save lives. She has taken care of so many of us in our time of need and now it’s our turn to return the favor!”
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FCEMS releases names of crew involved in head-on crash