Ambulance Crash Kills Two In Colorado

Two passengers aboard an ambulance died Tuesday afternoon when it slammed into the rear of a semitrailer on Interstate 76, 15 miles west of Sterling, in Logan County, the Colorado State Patrol said.

The victims were identified as Karen Woods, 43, of Elizabeth, and Vicky Thomas.

A pregant woman being transported by the Rural/Metro ambulance, Kelsey Schlichenmayer, survived but was badly injured. Thomas and Schlichenmayer are sister-in-laws and Thomas was along for the ride while Schlichenmayer was being transported from Nebraska to Denver to deliver her baby. Woods was a nurse who was assisting in the ambulance.

After the crash, Schlichenmayer was airlifted to Swedish Medical Center and delivered a baby boy Tuesday night. Schlichenmayer is currently listed in critical, but improving condition and the newborn is in serious condition.

Her husband, Mark, thanked the community, especially those in Burlington and Goodland, Kansas, for their thoughts and prayers.

Woods has worked with the Aurora Medical Center for the past 10 years.

The driver of the ambulance, Chris Larusso, 22, of Westminster, and another paramedic, Dan Beza, 31, of Centennial, were both transported to Sterling Regional Medical Center with unknown injuries.

Authorities say both vehicles were westbound in the right lane when the ambulance collided with the rear end of the semi trailer at about 4 p.m.

Semitrailer driver Plamen Zelyamov of Chicago was not injured.

The westbound lanes of the interstate were closed between Atwood and Brush for nearly six hours while an investigation was conducted. They reopened just after 9 p.m. Tuesday night.

A spokesman for the ambulance company said that its driver did have extensive training but would not speculate to what caused the crash. The accident remains under investigation.

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