Driver arrested after collision with ambulance in Rotterdam

An ambulance in the Netherlands - Credit: - License: DepositPhotos Crime Wednesday, 7 October 2026 - 17:00

A driver was arrested in Rotterdam on Tuesday evening after colliding with an ambulance. One of the emergency staff was taken to the hospital after the collision; the person they were transporting remained unharmed.

The crash happened on the Prins Alexanderlaan in Rotterdam's Prins Alexander district, around 8:15–8:40 p.m. on Tuesday. The initial ambulance alert was at 8:14 p.m., while the police traffic-accident alert came at 8:40 p.m.

An ambulance was driving to the hospital with a patient, using its flashing lights and siren because it was responding under emergency conditions. Near a traffic light on the Prins Alexanderlaan, the ambulance hit the back of a passenger car. RTV Rijnmond reports that the impact was hard and that a braking mark of more than 30 meters was visible on the road.

One of the ambulance workers was injured and taken to hospital, while a second ambulance worker was examined at the scene. The patient who was being transported by the ambulance was not injured. The patient was subsequently transferred to another ambulance so they could continue to the hospital.

The driver of the passenger car was arrested following the collision. Police said he was under the influence and could not show a valid driver's license.

Nieuws op Beeld reports that the car made a possibly unexpected steering movement shortly before the collision, but this has not been established as the definitive cause. Police traffic investigators from Forensische Opsporing Verkeer were called to investigate the precise circumstances of the crash.

Both vehicles suffered substantial/heavy damage in the collision. The ambulance was effectively taken out of service following the crash.