According to police, the ambulance had its lights on and sirens blaring as it made its way down Poplar. When it reached the intersection, the driver repeatedly honked the horn and almost came to a complete stop before proceeding.  

Before it made it through, a Nissan Sentra clipped it. The impact sent the ambulance into a pole. Both vehicles sustained damage.

The ambulance driver, a passenger and another witness told police the Nissan sped through the light in an attempt to beat the other vehicle.

The city expects to receive about $1.1 million more from the increased sales tax between July 1, when the new rate goes into effect, and April 30, 2019. Voters on March 20 agreed to double the city's non-home-rule sales tax rate, from .5 percent to 1 percent.  

The priciest item on the list Dawkins presented? Spending $605,000 to replace a fire engine. There also are plans to replace a 19-year-old dump truck/snowplow/salt-spreader, for $200,000, and to replace three police vehicles, for about $109,000.

The fire department also is adding ballistic vests and helmets for ambulance crews at a cost of about $14,000, but it's paying for that with development-fee money.

The engine being replaced is 19 years old.