3 injured after ambulance struck by driver under the influence

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Two paramedics and an impaired driver were hospitalized with injuries after a serious crash, Portland Police Bureau said Saturday morning.

At 12:42 a.m. Saturday morning, East and Central Precinct officers responded to an emergency signal from an American Medical Response ambulance at East Burnside Street and Northeast Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Upon officers' arrival, they found the ambulance had been involved in a crash.

The driver and passenger paramedics, who were conscious but injured, were transported by ambulances to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Portland Fire and Rescue had to extricate the driver of a 2008 Subaru Legacy Outback sedan, as he was pinned in the vehicle and unconscious. He was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

Lacorius M. Jenkins, 18, the driver of the Subaru, was issued criminal citation at the hospital for Driving Under the INfluence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving.

Officers determined through investigation that the ambulance was driving eastbound on East Burnside Street when it was struck by the northbound Subaru. The ambulance did not have its lights/sirens activated at the time due to it not responding to an emergency call at the time of the incident. There was no patient in the ambulance when the collision occurred.