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On Oct. 6, 1909, Charles Cocking took Vancouver’s new “auto ambulance” out for its first test drive, and promptly killed a pedestrian.

“Out for a trial spin at noon, Vancouver’s new city police ambulance ran over and almost instantly killed Mr. C.F. Keiss, a wealthy citizen of Austin, Texas,” the Vancouver Province reported.

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“Keiss was crossing Pender Street at the Granville corner when the heavy automobile, having dodged between two street cars which were proceeding in opposite directions, struck him in the back.”

The Vancouver World’s description of the accident was pretty grisly.

“The auto-ambulance knocked him down, and a wheel passing over his skull injured him so severely that he died in a few minutes,” said the World. “The victim was dragged by the car 50 or a hundred yards along Pender Street before the car could be stopped, the track being marked by pools of blood.

“Hundreds of men and women saw the dreadful affair, and turned pale and sick as the man was rolled along under the wheels and done to death, the spouting blood adding to the ghastliness of the accident.”