By Lynne Terry
The Oregonian
McMinnville, Ore. — The McMinnville Fire Department may never have another custom-built emergency vehicle like the one that crashed Wednesday.
The vehicle, which cost $200,000 in 2000, took months to build and served as an ambulance and a rescue rig. It carried heavy tools and 300 gallons of water.
Early Wednesday the vehicle veered off a two-lane county road, rolled twice and was totaled.
The driver, Teri Apodaca-Stonebarger, 46, of Carlton, and her passenger, John K. Gephart, 38, of McMinnville, were not injured.
Fire Chief Rich Leipfert said the accident was a blow.
“We have a variety of other ambulances, but this has a special design, and it’s the only one that we have,” he said.
The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office spokesman said the driver erred by allowing the vehicle to drift into gravel on a curve, losing control. No citations were issued.
The vehicle was headed to a critical medical call at Rock of Ages Care Facility in McMinnville when it crashed about 6:15 a.m. A department ambulance, which also was dispatched, arrived at the care center and treated the 82-year-old patient.
Leipfert said the department will evaluate whether more training or other measures are needed to avoid future crashes.
Copyright 2009 The Oregonian
All Rights Reserved