OOPS She was Dead When I Covered Her

[spenac]

Another big OOPS making EMS look like idiots.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_7743198

[JPINFV]

I'm not dead yet.

[spenac]

Story says they've only had 3 similiar events.

Link 1

Link 2

[paramedicmike]

At least the guy who hit her won't be facing manslaughter charges...yet.

The should still cut off his arms for driving drunk, though.

-be safe

[spenac]

In defense of the paramedics at least their mistake was found before the wrecking yard.

I know not really a winning defense.

[spenac]

Update. Check out this statement:

But according to a police officer familiar with the incident, police told paramedics at least twice that the woman was still breathing.

"They kept telling everybody, 'No, she's not. ... She'll die in a few minutes,'" said the officer, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak about the case.

[web:75052ec42e]http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA121807.01B.womandies.28cdca3.html[/web:75052ec42e]

UPDATE: Woman left for dead dies

Web Posted: 12/18/2007 01:24 AM CST

Brian Chasnoff

Express-News

A Texas State University senior who was presumed dead after a traffic collision and left unattended in the wreckage for more than two hours in near-freezing temperatures died of her injuries Monday afternoon, officials said.

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Erica N. Smith, 23, was pronounced dead at Brooke Army Medical Center at 2 p.m., two hours before Fire Chief Charles Hood held a news conference at which he refused to accept responsibility for the misdiagnosis of her condition.

Smith — who at the time of the crash was alive, suffering from a head injury and in critical condition — was left early Sunday without aid at the site, covered in a yellow tarp, while two others who had been in the same vehicle were taken to BAMC with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the other car, Jenny Ann Ybarra, 28, was taken to University Hospital for a blood draw and because she had complained of back pain, police said. Ybarra was later charged with intoxication assault.

It was not known late Monday whether earlier treatment would have saved Smith's life, or the extent of her injuries when she arrived at the hospital. But the two-hour lapse between the time of the crash and when Smith finally received care upset at least one of her relatives.

More coverage

KENS video: Crash victim who was left for dead dies

"It is unfathomable to me that my little cousin sat, bleeding, under a tarp and in the cold while receiving no medical attention," wrote Kimberly McGuire, a cousin of Smith's, in an e-mail to an Express-News reporter. "I can't help but wonder if her injuries would be less severe had she received the prompt medical treatment she deserved."

Emergency medical personnel often cite the "golden hour," the 60 minutes between a person's critical injury and the moment before the body begins to shut down.

Hood, standing before a throng of news cameras on Monday, would not say how the paramedics determined Smith's condition, saying only that they generally check for vital signs, which can be compromised in cold weather.

The low temperature on Sunday — the wreck occurred just before 4 a.m. — was 29 degrees.

"The paramedics, when they were doing their job, they didn't think they were missing anything," Hood said.

But according to a police officer familiar with the incident, police told paramedics at least twice that the woman was still breathing.

"They kept telling everybody, 'No, she's not. ... She'll die in a few minutes,'" said the officer, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak about the case.

Hood said the incident is under review, and the paramedics involved are expected to return to work Wednesday for their regular shifts. He said the review's findings likely would remain confidential in accordance with current law.

"I don't foresee any discipline for (the paramedics)," Hood said, adding, "There's nothing to apologize for. We weren't driving the vehicle that hit the car."

According to the police report, a team of four paramedics responded to the head-on collision shortly before 4 a.m. at Loop 410 near Rigsby Road. Smith, in the front passenger seat of a Honda Accord that police said had been struck by Ybarra, was covered with a tarp. Assuming she was dead, the medics instead worked to "save the most savable victims," Hood said.

A medical examiner's investigator arrived at the scene at 5:14 a.m. Shortly before 6 a.m., after determining that Smith was not really dead, a second team of paramedics arrived to treat her, the report said.

Hood, who became chief of the Fire Department in April, said he visited Smith's family at BAMC for half an hour on Monday to express his sympathy.

"It was difficult, man. I was in tears," Hood said. "You can't describe the amount of grief in there."

Ybarra, the driver of the other vehicle, was released Sunday from Bexar County Jail after posting $5,000 bond.

Police said Ybarra's gray Pontiac GS veered into an oncoming lane on Loop 410, striking the Honda Accord. Sabrina Shaner, 22, the Accord's driver, and backseat passenger Amber Wilson, 22, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

[Dustdevil]

"I don't foresee any discipline for (the paramedics)," Hood said, adding, "There's nothing to apologize for. We weren't driving the vehicle that hit the car."

:shock:

Wow... I'm speechless! I cannot recall the last time I saw such a catastrophic failure of tactful communications by a public servant. That was just way, way over the top. It was so wrong on so many levels, not the least of which being commenting on an investigation that hasn't even concluded yet. Regardless of the core issues of this incident, I'd sack this guy for that statement. He just really hurt the city and his department.

[Scaramedic]

:shock:

Wow... I'm speechless! I cannot recall the last time I saw such a catastrophic failure of tactful communications by a public servant.

I can.

[spenac]

It will be interesting to see the fall out over the next weeks.

[spenac]

Fire Chief Charles Hood: I am personally sorry if my comments added to family's pain

Web Posted: 12/20/2007 08:07 AM CST

Charles Hood

Members of the San Antonio Fire Department and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Erica Smith who died from injuries sustained in a collision on Loop 410.

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I met with her family hours before she succumbed to her injuries and it was clear to me from their grief and loving expressions, that Ms. Smith was a dearly loved and an exceptional woman. We are sincerely saddened for the Smith family's loss.

There are no words that can express the department's anguish over a decision made at the accident that led to a determination that Ms. Smith's condition was not conducive to life. There are circumstances and conditions that could cause an emergency responder to make such a determination.

I have tremendous confidence in the paramedics that serve this great city and an understanding of what it is like to carry out their critical duties. I will not prematurely speculate on any conclusions.

The circumstances of the decisions made by the paramedics involved are under review by the city's director of Emergency Medical Services, as well as the Fire Department. Once all of the facts are known, appropriate actions will be immediately initiated.

At a news conference this week, I was asked if I would apologize to the family of Ms. Smith. I understood the question to mean would I apologize for decisions made by paramedics at the scene. At the time the question was asked, the review of the decision made by the paramedics was in process. My response, however, was reported as insensitive and for that I sincerely apologize to the family and friends of Erica Smith.

I am personally sorry if my comments before the media in any way added to the family's pain and sorrow. I hope that I conveyed to the Smith family at the hospital how very saddened we are as a department. I can only hope that in that private moment, the Smith family found genuine regret in my eyes and in my words.

I also want to apologize to the citizens of San Antonio that I so greatly care about and strive to serve with dignity and respect.

A thorough review is being conducted and the outcome will be shared with the public we so proudly serve.

The men and women in the San Antonio Fire Department carry out the hardest job in the best way they can. Our city's paramedics, like those in every other city across the country, are called upon to respond to tens of thousands of vehicular accidents every year.

Life and death decisions are made under extremely challenging and difficult circumstances, often with extreme danger to first responders. However, it's a job we do proudly and with passion.

We are honored by the respect and confidence shown to the firefighters and paramedics in our city andwe intend to continue to work hard to deserve it. The residents of San Antonio can count on our dedicated efforts and we will continue to earn the trust of the community we serve.

Charles Hood is the chief of the San Antonio Fire Department.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/storie...t.34222f14.html