Family: Ambulance Wreck Broke Woman’s Back

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Plaquemine man says his girlfriend's back was broken when the ambulance in which she was riding rear-ended a sugar cane truck, and she has yet to regain consciousness.

Jeremy Georgetown told The Advocate on Wednesday that 21-year-old Whitley Lacey was seven months pregnant, and was going to a hospital Monday to be checked for stomach pains.

He says she underwent an emergency Caesarean section, had surgery for a broken back and procedures to remove blood from around her brain. She also was treated for broken ribs.

Georgetown says the baby is doing OK.

State police spokesman Russell Graham said the wreck occurred after the ambulance driver became distracted. Troopers cited 29-year-old Michael Averette of Addis, for careless driving.