// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Man dies after being hit by ambulance
The stretch of the A19 where the accident happened is now open again
A man has died after being struck by an ambulance transporting a patient near Sunderland, police have said.
Northumbria Police said the crash occurred on the A19, between the junctions for the A1018 and A690, shortly after 02:00 GMT.
The ambulance was travelling on the northbound carriageway and did not have its blue lights on when it hit the man, who was in his 30s and died at the scene.
Neither the patient nor their partner who were travelling in the ambulance were injured in the collision, while the vehicle's driver, a man in his 40s, was also not hurt and remained at the scene to assist police with their inquiries.
The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said the patient in the ambulance and their partner were transferred to another ambulance.
Officers from Northumbria Police's roads unit have launched an investigation into the collision.
Sgt Ben Rutherford said: "Our thoughts are firmly with the family and loved ones of the man who has tragically died following this collision.
"We will continue to support them in any way that we can at this incredibly difficult time."
Anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident itself or the moments leading up to the collision has been urged to contact the force.