Three people were rushed to the hospital after a crash Friday involving an ambulance headed to the hospital.

It happened about 4:45 p.m. at the intersection of Cleveland and Bendix roads on South Bend's northwest side.

Police say the ambulance was on Cleveland taking an injured biker from the RedBud motocross track to the hospital.

It had its lights and siren on but broad-sided an SUV going south on Bendix.

A passenger in the SUV had to be cut out and was taken to the hospital, along with the already injured biker, and one other patient.

Police say fortunately, no one else was hurt.

The SUV bounced into another car in the right turn lane, and debris from the crash damaged a fourth car as well.

Even though we just began the holiday weekend, that wasn't the only serious accident in St. Joseph County on Friday.

There was also a late afternoon accident involving 3 cars on U.S. 31 near Lakeville, and earlier in the day, a one-car roll-over accident on the toll road.

And police say, unfortunately, accidents and the 4th of July often go hand in hand.

Fortunately, police say there were no fatalities in any of those accidents, mostly just minor injuries.

But they say it's discouraging that there have already been so many accidents so early in the holiday weekend, and they hope drivers start using a little more sense out on the road.

Police say the accident on Bendix involving the ambulance, is a good example of a lapse of concentration.

“Your first priority when you’re driving is to drive. Pay attention to what’s in front of you, that’s what you got to do, because you’re talking a 3,000 or 4,000 or 5,000 pound vehicle and when something goes wrong, it gets bad quickly,” said Sergeant Bill Kraus with South Bend Police.

It got bad quickly in the accident near Lakeville Friday afternoon, when another driver failed to yield crossing over highway 31; and just as bad just as quickly in the one-car accident on the toll road earlier in the afternoon.

An SUV rolled over when the driver reached to get something out of the back seat.

“The age old lesson, you know, it only takes a second. It only takes a second of paying attention to the road, and especially at highway speeds,” said Master Trooper Maggie Shortt with the Indiana State Police.

The family was on their way to visit family from Chicago.

Fortunately, there were only minor injuries.

“They were extremely lucky, it appears they all had their seatbelts on so they were extremely lucky,” Shortt said.

Lori Schetgen and her family made the trip to South Bend from North Carolina, but decided to avoid the holiday traffic.

“We chose days to travel before, and then we are leaving on Sunday. But if you can avoid traveling, it just makes it easier, less traffic jams fewer problems,” Schetgen said.

Even if you can't avoid the road, you can make it a point to drive safe, and avoid a dangerous result.

“Go back to when you were 16 and you got your license so you could go from point A to point B. You don’t need to have lunch or dinner or cell phone or music or whatever fell in the back, just stay safe,” Schetgen said.

Police say they're obviously concerned about tonight and tomorrow night, and their patrols are looking out for those drinking and driving after celebrating the weekend.

But South Bend police say actually for the year, crashes are way down, and they can't recall any fatal crashes within the city so far this year; which is pretty unusual.