Ambulance Crashes Into Tree, Cancer Patient Suffers Broken Leg

A private ambulance carrying a 75-year-old cancer patient from Jhalokathi to Dhaka for specialised medical care crashed into a roadside tree before plunging into a ditch after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle. The patient suffered a fracture to his right leg, while five other passengers and the driver were also injured.

The accident took place at around 11am on Monday in the Raipur area of Nalchity upazila on the Barishal–Jhalokathi regional highway.

The injured patient was identified as Fazlul Haque, a salt trader from the Palbari area of Jhalokathi Sadar. He had been suffering from cancer for a prolonged period and was travelling to Dhaka for medical examinations and further treatment.

According to police and eyewitnesses, Haque was being taken to the capital in a private ambulance accompanied by members of his family. When the vehicle reached the Raipur area, the driver apparently lost control. The ambulance first collided with a tree beside the road and then veered off the highway, falling into a roadside ditch.

The impact left Haque with a serious injury to his right leg, which was subsequently confirmed to be fractured. His son, Riyazul Islam, 45; daughter-in-law Afroza Begum, 40; son-in-law Mamun Hossain, 55; and grandson Polok Hossain, 22, were also injured. The ambulance driver sustained injuries as well, although his name and address were not immediately available.

After receiving information about the crash, police from Nalchity Police Station and local residents rushed to the scene. They helped rescue those trapped or injured in the vehicle and arranged for them to receive medical attention.

Haque’s nephew, Matin Rahman, said his uncle regularly travelled to Dhaka for medical check-ups on the advice of his doctors. He had set out for the capital on Monday for the same purpose when the accident occurred.

Following initial treatment at Jhalokathi Sadar Hospital, Haque was transferred to another ambulance and sent onwards to Dhaka for further medical care. The other injured family members were treated at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal.

The accident once again highlights the risks faced by patients and their families when travelling long distances for specialised treatment. For seriously ill patients, particularly those requiring regular consultations in major cities, ambulance journeys can be physically demanding. Any road accident during such a journey can further complicate an already difficult medical situation.

Police and eyewitnesses said the circumstances leading to the driver losing control would need to be assessed to determine the precise cause of the crash. As the incident occurred on a regional highway used by vehicles travelling between Jhalokathi and Barishal, the accident also caused concern among local residents about road safety in the area.