Fiery crash with an ambulance claims at least one life

By Gerry May

Click here for updates on this story

    RUSTON, Louisiana (KTBS) — A family in southeast Texas is mourning the death of man killed when an ambulance hit his jeep and it caught fire on Interstate 20 in Ruston.

Both vehicles were westbound on near Tarbutton Road when the crash happened around 5 a.m. Monday.

A photo from the scene shared with KTBS 3 News show a mangled burn Jeep that was driven by James Hvamstad, 29, of Honey Island, Texas. Another photo shows a Pafford EMS ambulance that rear-ended him. It had a smashed front end and fire damage.

We’re told that a patient, who was in critical condition, was being transported from Farmerville to Shreveport. Also, a passenger in Hvamstad’s Jeep was badly injured and had to be flown to a Shreveport hospital. However, Ruston Police have not released further official information.

Hvamstad’s stepmother, Patricia Hvamstad, told us, “We’re still waiting for more information, just like you.”

She said her stepson was returning to his hotel in Bossier City with a co-worker when the crash happened. She says James Hvamstad was a maintenance technician who was doing work for a Shreveport company.

Pafford EMS did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.