# NJ Ambulance Crash Claims Life of Patient in Back



## SES4 (Jan 15, 2010)

Ambulance accident on Route 519 in White Township claims patient in back - UPDATE

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/war...f/2010/01/ambulance_accident_on_route_51.html


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## nomofica (Jan 15, 2010)

Wonder why the rig swerved to the right...


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## EMT (Jan 15, 2010)

Very strange.. on a pretty straight county road? Now i will think twice before i boast about our drivers.


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## EMSLaw (Jan 15, 2010)

A real shame.  I wonder what actually happened to make the ambo go off the road.


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## SES4 (Jan 15, 2010)

The situation seems a bit odd to me but I will hold judgement until they do a better, more complete investigation.  That said I have the same question many do:  What caused the driver to swerve?


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## DrParasite (Jan 15, 2010)

hmmm, middle of nowhere NJ, maybe sun glare?  maybe a deer or other animal?  maybe the driver experienced a medical emergency.  I don't know, you don't know, until the investigation is completed no one can do anything else beside speculate.  

I, for one, am glad that both EMTs only suffered minor injuries.


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## VentMedic (Jan 15, 2010)

DrParasite said:


> I, for one, am glad that both EMTs only suffered minor injuries.


 
Flown by helicopter for minor injuries?


Update:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/war...sf/2010/01/carol_porphy_68_identified_as.html



> The ambulance driver lost control while trying to make a left turn, said Detective Brian Polite with the New Jersey State Police. An investigation is ongoing, he said.


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## DrParasite (Jan 15, 2010)

VentMedic said:


> Flown by helicopter for minor injuries?


yes minor injuries.  they were probably flown because the driver was pinned and needed to be extricated, and the attendant as in a vehicle that had one DOA.  both are criteria for consideration of a trauma work up due to mechanism.   

They were 40 minutes by ground to a trauma center by ground, 15 by air.  Add to the fact that one of the helicopters is the same company as the ambulance involved in the crash (the whole "we look after our own" concept), and you can see why they were both flown to trauma centers for precaution, and both were discharged from the ER the following day, with minor injuries.


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## CAOX3 (Jan 15, 2010)

DrParasite said:


> yes minor injuries.  they were probably flown because the driver was pinned and needed to be extricated, and the attendant as in a vehicle that had one DOA.  both are criteria for consideration of a trauma work up due to mechanism.



I dont think in this day mechanism plays quite the same role as it used to. With the advances in automobile technology cars are meant to crumple and come apart.  Mechanism used to be a critical determing factor in injury nowdays in my experience it isnt.  

People walk away from wrecks they never would have years ago.  I dont discount mechanism altogether, I look for intrusion into pt compartment amongst other things.  I dont call for a helicopter based on someones Saturn being totaled, I take it into account but I dont base transportation mode on it alone.

My thoughts are with everyone involved.


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## SammyGirlMedic (Jan 15, 2010)

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved! 

There could be a number of reasons why the driver swerved. I hope an update is posted after the incident is investigated further.


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## SES4 (Jan 16, 2010)

*Updated information regarding crash*

Some expanded and updated information. 

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/sussex/index.ssf?/base/news-2/126360931183970.xml&coll=1


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