** Iowa ambulance rolls after driver falls asleep at wheel
** UK ambulance service sees increase in patients suffering reactions to legal highs; urges public to stop using them
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A pair of Iowa medics apparently escaped serious injury Wednesday after an ambulance crash that allegedly saw the driver of the EMS rig fall asleep at the wheel. That is the word from WHO TV (Alex Payne/July 8) which said the 4:30 a.m. incident occurred near Newton’s 170 mile marker. According to the news service, the Des Moines based Midwest Ambulance vehicle drifted off the road and into a ditch where it overturned. Police say along with the driver likely dosing off, the second medic was also asleep in the rear cab at the time of the accident.
UNITED KINGDOM NEWS
** The increasing use of so-called legal drugs to obtain highs has at least one ambulance service warning the concoctions still contain dangerous chemicals untested on humans. Rochdale Online (July 8) said the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust took their message to the public after noting an increase in patients suffering serious consequences from consuming the drugs. Senior Paramedic Wayne Pemberton said he has seen such patients suffer hallucinations, unconsciousness, and several have even suffered respiratory arrests. Violence and uncontrollable behaviour are other symptoms. NWAS Sector Manager David Rigby agreed, saying reactions to legal highs are often unpredictable from person to person.
