Cyclist Billed $1800 by Ambulance That Ran Him Over Before Taking Him to Hospital: Complaint

A man who was hit by an ambulance in Oregon while riding his bicycle is suing the ambulance service after it reportedly billed him $1,800 for his trip to the hospital. 

According to a complaint filed in Oregon Circuit Court on Oct. 24 and later obtained by PEOPLE, the plaintiff, William Hoesch, "was riding his bicycle and traveling westbound on West C Street" in Rainier, Ore., on Oct. 27, 2022. 

As Hoesch entered an intersection, a Columbia River Fire & Rescue ambulance that was also traveling in the same direction "made a sudden right turn" in front of the bicyclist, "causing the plaintiff to crash into the side of the ambulance," the complaint alleged. 

“This collision destroyed plaintiff’s bicycle and caused him personal injuries,” the complaint claimed, while noting that the ambulance driver "rendered medical assistance" at the scene of the collision. 

“Then, defendant Columbia River Fire & Rescue transported plaintiff to the nearest hospital for treatment of his injuries that were caused in the subject collision by its ambulance driver, and billed him for the service,” the complaint continued. 

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Travis Mayor, Hoesch’s attorney, told OregonLive.com on Monday, Nov. 4 that his client was billed $1,862 for the ambulance service. 

The complaint claimed that Hoesch has already racked up an estimated $47,000 in medical expenses and will likely face additional medical treatment and costs in the amount of approximately $50,000. 

According to a copy of the Rainier Police Department's incident report obtained by PEOPLE, Hoesch said the ambulance was ahead of him and going slowly as he was riding his bike down a hill. He assumed the ambulance was going straight, so he passed the vehicle on the right-hand side. He then added that the ambulance immediately turned right and he didn’t have time to move. 

The incident report also included an account from the ambulance driver, who said he thought he was traveling 5 mph when heading down the hill. He was turning and going at 2-3 mph when he heard a thump and possibly a yell, and then stopped the ambulance. The driver also said he believed he had his turn signal on. 

The report also stated that the driver later visited the police department and gave a voluntary breath sample that yielded a blood alcohol content of 0.00%.

Hoesch’s lawsuit accused Columbia River Fire & Rescue of negligence that led to the bicyclist suffering injuries to various parts of his body, including his face, left hand, left hip and diaphragm. 

“The injuries have caused plaintiff to experience pain, stiffness, tenderness, discomfort, impaired range of motion, reduced grip strength, and other symptoms,” the complaint alleged, adding that Hoesch’s injuries "have interfered and will continue to interfere with his normal activities," and has also “caused him loss of enjoyment of life.”

Hoesch is seeking damages of about $900,000, according to the complaint. 

In an email to PEOPLE on Thursday, Nov. 7, Columbia River Fire & Rescue wrote: “We are aware of the plaintiff and the allegations of misconduct involving our district personnel. We have forwarded this matter to our legal department and insurance carrier. At this time, we cannot comment on any legal issues.”