A portion of northbound US-131 in Allegan County was closed for several hours last week after the driver of a silver pickup truck fell asleep and rear-ended an ambulance taking a patient to a Grand Rapids hospital.
The ambulance flipped near the Wayland exit around 7 p.m. that evening, causing injuries to the patient — who was already in need of critical care — and two EMTs.
Deputies on scene contacted Aeromed, and from there the patient was airlifted to the hospital where they are now in serious but stable condition, according to the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver struck the ambulance on the left rear side of the vehicle, deputies said. The reason why the driver fell asleep is still under investigation, but deputies said that person has been cooperating and has not been charged with any crimes.
“We’re exploring every avenue at this point in time to try to determine exactly what happened,” Sergeant Kyle Baker with the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office said.
One EMT suffered serious injuries while another suffered minor ones, according to Baker, who highlighted the seriousness of the crash.
“These are very dangerous situations to be involved in a vehicle crash of that nature for a healthy person,” said Baker. “So, when you start to add additional medical concerns, it can become extremely dangerous for a patient.”
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
