Paramedic and police officer assaulted by drunk driver

An ambulance driver and a police officer were assaulted by a 47-year-old motorist from Barendrecht in Zuid-Holland on Friday. The paramedic was kicked, after which he was no longer able to drive his vehicle. The police officer had to take over.

Just before the incident, the perpetrator drove over a roundabout at high speed, causing him to lose control and ended up hitting a lamppost.

Regional broadcaster Rijnmond report that the man managed to get out of his vehicle on his own. Ambulance workers rushed to the scene and found him by the side of the road. “He then walked to the emergency services and that seemed to go well, until he suddenly kicked the paramedic in the chest with a straight leg,” said a police spokesperson. An officer was also kicked.

The man had to be given a sedative to settle down. They put him in the ambulance after the incident. Due to his injuries, the paramedic was no longer able to drive the ambulance himself.

Presumably, the perpetrator had been drinking. According to Rijnmond, it turned out to be impossible to take a breath test, but blood was taken to see how much alcohol he had had. He was arrested on the spot.