AHOSKIE – Hertford County citizens shouldn’t see any problems despite the loss of an ambulance in a Monday afternoon accident.

While citizens can rest assured that two ambulances remain on duty in Hertford County, there is cause for concern.

“We are at a point where we are using all of our backup ambulances, so it is a concern,” County Manager Loria D. Williams said. “We are in hurry-up mode. We have an appraiser coming Thursday to find out if it can be repaired or if it must be replaced.”

According to North Carolina Highway Patrol First Sergeant K.P. Pitts, the accident occurred Monday afternoon on S.R. 1108 (Country Club Drive).

Sgt. Pitts indicated the ambulance, being operated by Keri Taylor Bain of Winton, had both lights and siren activated.

The ambulance was heading to a motor vehicle wreck, but at the time of the accident, the rescue unit contained only Bain and Sharon Lewis, a passenger, who was also an employee of Hertford County Emergency Services. They suffered only minor injuries and neither was hospitalized.

Pitts said the vehicle left the right side of the roadway, struck a ditch and continued on through a field until it struck a group of trees and came to rest.

The accident report, filed by NCHP Sgt. M.W. Warren, estimated damages at $6,500.

No citations were issued in the accident.

Williams said the vehicle didn’t appear to be damaged extensively, but there were concerns with the undercarriage.

“There does not appear to be a lot of damage on the front of the vehicle,” Williams said. “We are worried about the axle and things underneath. We don’t want to repair it and have problems down the road.”

The county owns four ambulances, but two of them are now out of service, the other one currently in a repair shop.

Williams said the county would act quickly after the appraiser told them if the vehicle could be fixed or not.

“We are working diligently and quickly to find out the issue with this vehicle and then get it fixed or get another one on order,” Williams said.