Oregon cyclist billed by ambulance that hit him sues for €930k

The accident, as reported by the portal oregonlive.com, occurred in October 2022. Seventy-one-year-old William Hoesch was cycling through Rainier in Columbia County, Oregon, when an ambulance returning from a call suddenly struck him.

According to police reports, the ambulance driver was travelling in the same direction as the cyclist and was turning right at the intersection. As a result of the collision, the elderly man sustained facial injuries, among others.

Paramedics from Columbia River Fire & Rescue did not call another team to the scene and instead transported the injured cyclist themselves to the nearest hospital. They subsequently issued the man with a bill for the ambulance ride amounting to 1,862 US dollars, which is equivalent to over €1,735.

Now, as reported by overseas media, the victim from two years ago is seeking compensation from the emergency services, amounting to 997,000 US dollars (converted to over €930,000). A lawsuit has already been filed in court concerning this matter.

Columbia River Fire & Rescue declined to comment to local media. Meanwhile, the portal oregonlive.com notes that this is not the first accident in Oregon involving an ambulance.

A month ago, the family of a 25-year-old woman who died in a car accident in January this year filed a lawsuit against the station. The collision occurred when the ambulance was turning left at an intersection. In July, the local police announced that an ambulance had hit a car with a damaged tyre parked on the roadside. The 55-year-old driver of the car, who was standing next to the vehicle, died at the scene.