Another emergency vehicle fatality....... - EMTLife.com - The #1 Online Forum for EMS-Related Discussion

46Young · 10-20-2009, 12:23 PM

http://www.jems.com/news_and_article...ambulance.html

ClarkKent · 10-20-2009, 12:46 PM

Damn, I hate hearing that

kittaypie · 10-20-2009, 01:05 PM

so he hit the truck when he went to oppose traffic. judging by the damage, he must have been opposing waaaaay too fast. there's a reason we're supposed to oppose at 10 mph, even though most of the time we do it at 20 or 30.

Kaisu · 10-20-2009, 01:08 PM

There will be h*** to pay. I work for AMR. The company assumes any accident is the fault of the operator of the emergency vehicle. The fact that the driver of the ambulance was cited makes it a slam dunk.

There is absolutely no excuse to "not see" traffic stopped in front of you. No mention if the ambulance was running code tho... although that would not be an excuse either.

emt.dan · 10-20-2009, 01:21 PM

AMR has road safety, so I am sure they will have plenty to blame the EVO with. I feel like AMR will see the employee as disposable, and wish wash their hands of the "liability" fairly quickly.
Horrible to hear about, as usual.

46Young · 10-20-2009, 08:42 PM

This incident remind me of another that I was dispatched to back when I was working in Charleston

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2...sh_kills34947/

This was the outcome

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2...ed_death41599/

46Young · 10-21-2009, 10:06 AM

I saw a continuation to the story on another site -
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct...ash-ambulance/

I'm guessing that they weren't running hot. If you were, you would certainly notice any slowdowns/stoppages of traffic in front of you. Admitting that they didn't notice the stoppage is admitting that they were distracted in some manner and not paying attention to the road. Hence the citation.

nomofica · 11-10-2009, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 46Young

This incident remind me of another that I was dispatched to back when I was working in Charleston

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2...sh_kills34947/

This was the outcome

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2...ed_death41599/

Quote:

The box showed that the ambulance was traveling at 51.6 mph at the time of impact and that its emergency lights and siren were activated. The posted speed limit in the area where the accident occurred is 25 mph.

Quote:

County policy allows ambulances responding to emergencies to exceed posted speed limits by no more than 10 mph, and it permits driving against the flow of traffic.

Quote:

"We did not feel there was a case of reckless negligence on the part of the driver," Cannon said.

Now, let's do some math here...
Posted limit= 25 mph
Permitted L&R response limit= posted limit + 10 mph -> 25 mph + 10 mph = 35 mph
Actual speed of vehicle= 51.6 mph
Calculated excess speed= actual - permitted -> 51.6 mph - 35 mph = 27.6 mph

How is it that not slowing down at an intersection on a very busy downtown street and speeding at 27.6 mph over the permitted limit for a responding emergency vehicle running L&R not negligent? Yeah, we all speed a little but when thrown under the microscope because of a fatal MVC involving the ambulance and a civilian, where the civilian was practically broadsided... Really?

As for the unrelated charges slapped against the EMT, disgusting.

10-20-2009, 12:46 PM	#2
ClarkKent Forum Lieutenant Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sacramento, Ca Posts: 150 Training: EMT-B, 1st Responder	Damn, I hate hearing that __________________ As my Caption once said in the EMT field, "fake it until you make it!" "We're like 7-Eleven. We ain't always doing business, but we're always open."

10-20-2009, 01:05 PM	#3
kittaypie Forum Crew Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Antelope Valley, CA Posts: 91 Training: EMT-Paramedic	so he hit the truck when he went to oppose traffic. judging by the damage, he must have been opposing waaaaay too fast. there's a reason we're supposed to oppose at 10 mph, even though most of the time we do it at 20 or 30. __________________ ~Trauma Queen~ -----SQUIRREL!-----

10-20-2009, 08:42 PM	#6
46Young Level 25 EMS Wizard Join Date: May 2009 Location: Stafford Va Posts: 1,274 Training: EMT-Paramedic	This incident remind me of another that I was dispatched to back when I was working in Charleston http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2...sh_kills34947/ This was the outcome http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2...ed_death41599/ __________________ "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those willing to work and give to those who are not." Thomas Jefferson "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser." — Socrates

10-21-2009, 10:06 AM	#7
46Young Level 25 EMS Wizard Join Date: May 2009 Location: Stafford Va Posts: 1,274 Training: EMT-Paramedic	I saw a continuation to the story on another site - http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct...ash-ambulance/ I'm guessing that they weren't running hot. If you were, you would certainly notice any slowdowns/stoppages of traffic in front of you. Admitting that they didn't notice the stoppage is admitting that they were distracted in some manner and not paying attention to the road. Hence the citation. __________________ "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those willing to work and give to those who are not." Thomas Jefferson "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser." — Socrates Last edited by 46Young; 10-21-2009 at 10:15 AM.

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10-20-2009, 12:23 PM	#1
46Young Level 25 EMS Wizard Join Date: May 2009 Location: Stafford Va Posts: 1,274 Training: EMT-Paramedic	Another emergency vehicle fatality....... http://www.jems.com/news_and_article...ambulance.html __________________ "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those willing to work and give to those who are not." Thomas Jefferson "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser." — Socrates

10-20-2009, 01:08 PM	#4
Kaisu Forum Asst. Chief Join Date: May 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 545 Training: EMT-Paramedic	There will be h*** to pay. I work for AMR. The company assumes any accident is the fault of the operator of the emergency vehicle. The fact that the driver of the ambulance was cited makes it a slam dunk. There is absolutely no excuse to "not see" traffic stopped in front of you. No mention if the ambulance was running code tho... although that would not be an excuse either.

10-20-2009, 01:21 PM	#5
emt.dan Forum Deputy Chief Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Northeast Posts: 1,247 Training: EMT-B	AMR has road safety, so I am sure they will have plenty to blame the EVO with. I feel like AMR will see the employee as disposable, and wish wash their hands of the "liability" fairly quickly. Horrible to hear about, as usual.

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