This ambulance is out of commission for the foreseeable future. Photo/LTN

By Kathryn Reed

A South Lake Tahoe-based ambulance was involved in an accident early Saturday morning on Highway 50 just east of Sierra-at-Tahoe.

No one was injured and no patients were in the ambulance.

“There were other vehicles traveling that were able to avoid it … and able to merge into the one lane and avoid the collision,” CHP Sgt. Kurt Peterson told Lake Tahoe News.

According the California Highway Patrol, a black Acura sedan was stopped in the right lane with its hazard lights on when the ambulance crashed into it.

“It is still under investigation how fast the ambulance was going,” Peterson said. “It was going fast enough to disable the vehicle. There was significant damage to the rear.”

The ambulance was still drivable, but the front end smashed in, with the grill missing. In what looks like pink lipstick “drive line out” is written on the driver’s side window of the ambulance.

The accident occurred just after 1am Feb. 25. The ambulance was returning from an inter-agency transfer.

“The mechanic and insurance company will determine extent of damage and replacement time line,” Ryan Wagoner, who runs the CalTahoe ambulance service, told Lake Tahoe News. “The contract requires we have three medic units in service, with two additional reserves, but we actually have four reserve medic units.”