Most Likely, the Driver's Eyes Shut: Details from the Tragic Accident

On the way back from a call, the ambulance crew was involved in a self-accident, with preliminary reports suggesting that the driver had likely fallen asleep at the wheel. This was stated by Ruben Grigoryan, the director of the Yerevan Municipality's Emergency Medical Service.

“We received a call, and after completing it, the crew was involved in a self-accident. Most likely, the driver's eyes shut. There was a doctor sitting next to him, and a nurse in the back. The doctor has died, the nurse is in stable but serious condition, and the driver’s condition is lighter, with only rib fractures; he was conscious,” Grigoryan said, noting that the driver was sober.

When asked whether the doctor was wearing a seatbelt, Grigoryan remarked, “I think he was not wearing a seatbelt. These are all preliminary details; I have the footage, and he simply hits the pole—nothing else happened. At that moment, 99 percent of both their eyes were shut because right before he makes a turn and then hits.”

“According to initial data, the driver's condition is light. The nurse is currently in intensive care, and her condition is serious,” the director emphasized.

When asked whether the drivers are overworked, resulting in such an incident, he responded, “The nurse’s condition is serious, the doctor has died, the driver is in the hospital. Should we sit down and discuss whether they are overworked or not? One eye shut is clear; there is no obstacle. We have the footage of how it happened; he is driving and hits. I have been there since the first moment; all of this has been right in front of my eyes.”

It should be noted that a tragic incident occurred early this morning: an ambulance was involved in an accident while performing its professional duty in Yerevan.