Cyclist files $1m lawsuit after being struck by ambulance and billed $1,800 for ride to hospital

A US cyclist has filed an almost $1 million (£790,000) lawsuit against an ambulance provider after he was run over by an ambulance driver, who then took him to hospital in the same vehicle and billed him for the service.

William Hoesch, a 71-year-old from Oregon, received a bill for $1,862 (£1,471) for the ambulance ride after he was struck. He fractured his nose in the incident, and, according to the lawsuit, has since amassed $47,000 (£37,147) in medical expenses.

Hoesch is now suing Columbia River Fire and Rescue department, the ambulance provider, for $997,000 (£788,000). The sum is said to cover the fee of the ambulance ride, his current and future medical expenses, and an additional $900,000 (£711,342) in pain and suffering.

The cyclist claims in court documents that he was left covered in blood, with longer term injuries including “pain, stiffness, tenderness, discomfort, impaired range of motion, and reduced grip”.

The incident took place in October 2022 in front of the Columbia River Fire and Rescue station in the Oregon city of Rainier. Hoesch filed the lawsuit last month, on 24 October.

First reported by Oregon Live, the suit claims that Hoesch was riding in the same direction as the ambulance, which was returning from a trip, when it turned in front of him and struck him, crushing his bike under its front wheel.

The driver and passenger inside the vehicle later told police that they estimated they were travelling at between 2mph and 10mph. Hoesch said he was going a similar speed, between 5mph and 10mph, when he was struck.

According to police reports, the driver heard a thump, ground to a halt, and discovered the cyclist on the floor.

The Columbia River Fire and Rescue department’s fire chief, Eric Smythe, told The Daily Mail that he has seen police and insurance records that “paint a different picture” to what Hoesch describes.

“We’ve done our due diligence, and took care of a patient who was injured,” Smythe said.

Cycling Weekly has also contacted Columbia River Fire and Rescue for comment, and will update this article if and when they respond.