According to investigators, the Jan-Care ambulance had completed a hospital-to-hospital patient transfer in Morgantown and was returning to its station when it collided with the rear of a tractor-trailer on U.S. Route 19 in Nicholas County. The ambulance was not transporting a patient at the time of the crash. The two EMTs aboard, 23-year-old Brittany Young and 35-year-old Douglas Ronald Dick II, were pronounced dead at the scene, while the truck driver was not injured.
The tragedy sent shockwaves through West Virginia’s emergency services community, prompting an outpouring of tributes for the two first responders, who were remembered for their dedication to serving others. Their deaths highlighted the risks faced daily by EMS professionals while traveling to and from emergency calls and medical transports.
Although unrelated to recent truck crashes in the Morgantown area, the incident continues to be remembered as one of the state’s most devastating ambulance collisions. Authorities have repeatedly urged all motorists to exercise caution around emergency vehicles and commercial trucks to help prevent similar tragedies on West Virginia highways.