2 paramedics injured when truck broadsides ambulance in Pacoima

Two paramedics in an ambulance were hurt and two men inside a pickup truck had critical injuries after their truck broadsided the ambulance at a Pacomia intersection early Sunday, authorities said.

The two paramedics inside the Los Angeles Fire Department rescue ambulance had minor to moderate injuries and were transported to a hospital in fair condition, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 12:35 a.m. to Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road.

After crashing into the ambulance, the pickup truck struck a nearby utility pole, Humphrey said.

“The two adult male occupants of the full-size pickup truck were badly trapped in the wreckage of their severely damaged truck before being freed by a team of LAFD responders,” Humphrey said. Both were transported to a trauma center in critical condition, he said.

The initial medical emergency that the paramedic team was headed to was quickly handled by another LAFD crew, he said.