ambulances firegeezer on 28 Nov 2007 08:04 am
Ambulance Flips On Snowy Road
Update: Patient dies. Scroll down.
JUST AFTER 3:30 am THIS MORNING IN COLCHESTER, VERMONT, and ambulance traveling on I-89 with a patient onboard lost control on the snowy highway and rolled over.
WCAX Ch. 3 has the early report:
“The ambulance was traveling southbound from New York enroute to Fletcher Allen, hit some slush between two lanes of the highway, slid out of control and rolled over. Came to a controlled rest in the ditch,” said Trooper Phillip Wagner.
A driver and a medic were also on board at the time of the crash. The patient and medic were taken to the hospital to be treated for unknown injuries. Their conditions are not known. The driver was not hurt.
Police say speed and road conditions were a factor.
Update, 11:30 am: The Burlington Free Press is now reporting that the patient in the ambulance has died from injuries that she sustained from the accident. They tell:
State police say they are investigating the accident that happened at about 3:15 a.m. A Seaway Valley Ambulance transporting Mary Catanzarite, 80, of Massena, was traveling south on I-89 toward Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, when it slid off the slush and snow-covered highway and overturned.
Police said Catanzarite and EMT Michael Guthrie, 39, of Massena, were injured and taken to Fletcher Allen, where Catanzarite died of undisclosed injuries. Guthrie was listed in serious condition this morning, hospital officials said.
The ambulance driver, Jimmie Scott, 41, also of Massena, was not injured, police said.
Vermont trooper inspects the Seaway Valley
ambulance involved in a fatal rollover this morning.
WCAX photo
The Seaway Valley Ambulance company is a privately-owned EMS provider operating in Massena, New York.
on 01 Dec 2007 at 7:16 pm 1.Robin said …
My heart goes out to both families. And I pray for you both. I hope that something will finally be done to take actions for this company to be responsible for this.
I am a former employee of this company and I know all to well how this company works. I also know all to well that this is not the first time this has happened. I also know how other families have sued this company before for this same reason.
I pray that this gets fully investigated and proper actions are taken.
To Seaway Valley I hope you will get what you deserve. You all know that this should not have happened!!! You all need to start taking some responsibility for these things. The public and the EMT’s put there complete trust in you and are suppose to be safe. They should feel that they are going to get to where they need to be in a safely manner.
on 02 Dec 2007 at 7:33 pm 2.shannon smith said …
the aemt-cc that was in the back of that rig is a friend of mine. he is an awesome medic and loves his job. i am sure he feels the loss of that patient. my heart goes out to the family of the patient that died, as well as mike’s family. it was mike’s love of ems that helped me to become an emt……
good luck snuggle bunny!