Six Injured in Paramedic Truck Crash in Hollywood: BSO

A crash involving a paramedic truck and a car in Hollywood left six people injured Thursday, including three paramedics and one child, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

Police say paramedics from Rescue 17 Crew were on their way to a medical call when a silver Infinity slammed into them on the northwest corner of Raleigh Street and North 23th Avenue in Hollywood.

According to Hollywood police, that Infinity had just been pulled over for speeding in the area of North 22nd Avenue and Douglas Street. For unknown reasons, the driver sped off and fled from that traffic stop. The driver ran a stop sign at North 23rd Avenue and Raleigh Street, and plowed into the ambulance, spinning it 180 degrees and flipping it on its side as it knocked over a fire hydrant.

The driver of that Infinity has been identified as Claude Richard Casimir.  In the car with Casimir was Keiana Elliott, an adult, as well as a 4-year-old girl.

The relationship between the three is not immediately clear.

Neighbor Sharon Gayle heard the crash and rushed outside to help the people in the car.

"The little girl was crying and the lady was in a lot of pain, the guy was bleeding but he was really trapped in the car, we were all trying to get him out," Gayle told NBC 6 South Florida.

Sharon says the impact from the crash threw the toddler girl from her car seat to the floor. Sharon and other neighbors helped pull the child and the two adults out of the car as water rushed from the fire hydrant.

Police say Elliott and the young girl were transported to surrounding hospitals for treatment.

Meanwhile, police had to bust through glass to rescue the the three paramedics stuck inside the ambulance.

Those paramedics have been identified as Lt. Thomas Strok, who has 10 years of service, firefighter/paramedic Luis Hernandez, who has seven and a half years of service, and firefighter/paramedic Mario Artze-Ordiales, who has two and a half years of service.

All three were taken to the hospital for treatment. One of the paramedics was released, and the other two remained in the hospital overnight for observation.

The condition of Elliott and the child is not yet known.

Police described Casimir as a habitual traffic offender whose license is currently revoked.  He is also currently on probation for a previous fleeing and eluding charge in Miami-Dade County.

Casimir has been charged with 10 felony charges, including violation of probation, resisting an officer, eluding police and driving with a suspended license, among others.

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