What happened
An ambulance carrying a patient was struck during a police pursuit in South Bend on Friday, September 11, 2026. An ABC57 report about the South Bend ambulance crash[1] says a driver fled a South Bend Police Department traffic stop and struck the ambulance during the pursuit that followed.
The crash involved the area of Lincoln Way West, West Diamond Avenue, Johnson Street, and Bulla Street. The ambulance was transporting a person on an unrelated call at the time of the collision.
ABC57's September 12 update reported that the patient was not hurt, the ambulance crew was not injured, and a passenger in the fleeing vehicle was not seriously injured. The only reported injuries are minor lacerations to the fleeing driver, who was treated and taken to jail. The driver faces multiple charges, but the reporting did not specify them. No party was identified by name.
Responsibility has not been adjudicated, and the investigation is ongoing. A criminal charge is an allegation and does not, by itself, decide civil responsibility.
What accident victims should do next
If you are involved in a pursuit-related collision, call police and stay at the scene. Reports may come from more than one agency, so make sure your presence and vehicle are documented by the officer taking the crash report. You can also review how to obtain an Indiana crash report.
Get checked the same day and keep the records you receive. Identify every vehicle involved or nearby, including the fleeing vehicle, police vehicles, and any emergency vehicle. Each vehicle may have a different owner and insurer.
Ask which agency conducted the pursuit. That answer can affect which legal rules and deadlines apply, and the pursuing agency may not be the agency that writes the crash report.
Look for available video from nearby businesses, intersections, police vehicles, and body-worn camera systems. Private recordings can be overwritten, so early preservation matters. This guide explains how traffic-camera and business-surveillance video may help document a crash.
Check your own insurance policy, including uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Indiana insurers must offer UM/UIM coverage under Ind. Code 27-7-5-2, although whether coverage applies depends on the policy and facts.
Why location matters in an Indiana injury claim
This crash occurred on city streets in South Bend, in St. Joseph County, and involved the South Bend Police Department. An Indiana civil case arising from an injury is ordinarily filed in the county where the injury occurred, which points to the St. Joseph County courts.
The involvement of a municipal police department and municipal ambulance can change the deadline analysis. Under the Indiana Tort Claims Act, a claim against a city, county, or another political subdivision requires written notice within 180 days under Ind. Code 34-13-3-8. A claim against the State requires notice within 270 days under Ind. Code 34-13-3-6. Indiana's general two-year limitations period appears in Ind. Code 34-11-2-4. These are different requirements, so relying only on the two-year period can put a government-related claim at risk. More information is available in the firm's guide to Indiana government tort claim notices.
Indiana's Comparative Fault Act, Ind. Code 34-51-2-6, generally prevents recovery when an injured person's fault is greater than 50 percent. Otherwise, recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. Claims against governmental entities are governed by the Indiana Tort Claims Act rather than the Comparative Fault Act, and any claimant fault can bar recovery entirely.
Nothing in the reporting describes a roadway defect, a recurring hazard, or the pursuing agency's pursuit policy. None should be assumed.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a personal injury law firm in Fort Wayne, Indiana, founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm can help our clients obtain crash and agency records, identify potentially applicable insurance policies, preserve available evidence, and understand the deadlines that may govern a claim.
Insurance companies and government defendants may aggressively defend fault, causation, and notice issues. If you were hurt, you can speak with a South Bend car accident lawyer or request a free case evaluation.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
