California

Female Patient Struck, Killed After Jumping Out of Ambulance in the East Bay: CHP

The collision happened in the area of the southbound I-680 connector to westbound I-580

A female patient jumped out of an ambulance on a highway in the East Bay Monday morning before being struck and killed by a passing car, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The deadly collision happened in the area of the southbound Interstate 680 connector to westbound Interstate 580 on the border of Dublin and Pleasanton, according to the CHP.

Seventeen people were killed in vehicle crashes across California over the Labor Day weekend, and nearly 1,000 were arrested on DUI suspicion, according to the California Highway Patrol. Thom Jensen reports.

The CHP issued a Sig-Alert at 7:54 a.m. due to the connector ramp being blocked as a result of the collision, according to the CHP.

According to CHP, the patient who jumped out of the ambulance was being transported from Valley Care Hospital in Pleasanton to John George Psychiatric Hospital in San Leandro.

The CHP says the woman got out of her restraints, overpowered a paramedic and jumped out as the ambulance was coming to a stop on a ramp connecting two highways. She was declared dead at the scene.

The shaken pickup truck driver said it happened fast: "I was making a turn, and the girl ran out this way and ran right in front of my truck," he said. 

CHP Officer Josh Roberts says investigators are trying to figure out how the woman was able to jump out.

"It’s not normal for somebody to break out of an ambulance or get out of an ambulance while it’s moving," Roberts said. "So we really have to figure out how that unfolded."

Officials said the woman earlier in the day was detained by police in Pleasanton for reckless driving and a confrontation with cops. Police said the woman tried to grab an officer's gun and a Taser was used to subdue her.

NBC Bay Area's Robert Handa and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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