RIDGEWAY, OH : Hardin County EMT killed in a crash on Saturday, October, 14th 2017

An emergency medical technician and police dispatcher is dead after the ambulance she was driving was struck by a car around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of state Route 273 and state Route 292, north of Ridgeway in Hardin County.

According to a statement from the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, Krista McDonald, 41, was driving the private Southeastern Hardin Ambulance District ambulance south on Route 292 when a westbound vehicle driven by Rachael Willeke, of Belle Center, failed to yield the right of way and struck the ambulance broadside.

Both McDonald and her EMT partner, Peggy Eastman, were ejected from the ambulance. McDonald was pronounced dead at the scene, while Eastman and a passenger in the Willeke vehicle, Alexander Young, were both flown to OSU Medical Center in Columbus with life-threatening injuries. Their conditions were unavailable late Sunday.

The driver of the second vehicle, Rachael Willeke, and a minor child in the vehicle were both taken to Lima Memorial Health System with non-life-threatening injuries. Their conditions were unavailable late Sunday.

McDonald had also served as a dispatcher with the Bellefontaine Police Department.

“The Bellefontaine Police Department suffered a tragic loss,” Chief Brandon Standley of the Bellefontaine Police Department said. “Dispatcher McDonald volunteered for years as a paramedic and enjoyed her time helping others. Krista was an extremely talented, hard-working and dedicated public servant who gave her life doing what she loved to do. Krista will be sadly missed by her BPD family. The members of our agency send our condolences to Krista’s family and friends through this difficult time.”

Standley said McDonald had spent 14 years as a dispatcher for the Police Department and he believes she had served as an EMT since 1995.

Ridgeway is 40 miles southeast of Lima.

The ambulance was reportedly returning to its base after responding to an accident earlier in the evening involving an Amish buggy and a motor vehicle.

That crash occurred at 7:21 p.m. on Route 292 just south of the state Route 31 intersection near Kenton.

Eric Wood, of Kenton, was northbound on Route 292 when he struck the buggy, which was operated by Amis Yoder, of rural Kenton. Both Yoder and one of his passengers, Katie Yoder, were flown to Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima with life-threatening injuries. The buggy was also occupied by three minor children who suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

Source :
Hardin County EMT killed in Saturday crash