The Responsibility Project^®. Exploring what it means to do the right thing

Left for Dead: Paramedic Misstep

16 Comments

February 21, 2008 by Kathy McManus

The golden hour strikes without warning.

The golden hour is the critical 60 minutes from the moment a life-threatening injury occurs to when the human body—if left untreated--starts shutting down on a trajectory toward death. Paramedics and other emergency responders encounter it as a matter of course.

The golden hour started ticking for a 23 year old college student named Erica Smith at 4AM on a freezing Sunday along a Texas highway when a drunk driver plowed head-on into the car in which she was a passenger.

Believing that Smith was dead, fire department paramedics covered her with a tarp and left her in the wreckage. In fact, she was alive, in critical condition with a severe head injury. As the golden hour slipped away, a policeman is reported to have twice told the paramedics that the young woman was still breathing, but they did nothing.

Almost two hours later, a medical examiner arrived to examine Smith’s body and saw that she was still alive. She was finally taken to a hospital. Her boyfriend dropped to one knee by her bedside and asked the non-responsive woman to marry him. Smith’s mother answered “yes” for her daughter, who soon died—34 hours after the crash.

It is not known if prompt medical treatment could have saved Smith’s life. But two hours after she died, the fire chief held a news conference and defended the paramedics’ actions, saying the cold weather could have affected Smith’s vital signs.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” the chief said. “We weren’t driving the vehicle that hit the car.”

Tell us what you think about the fire chief’s refusal to accept responsibility. Where should the buck stop—with the chief? The paramedics? The drunk driver?

16 Comments

What do you think? Leave a comment

• February 22, 2008 by Dorothy Gardiner

  The paramedics were inept in their duties of not knowing that a serious head injury or trauma mimics death like symptoms and they should have treated her as still having the possibility of being alive. They should have their paramedical licenses revoked. They are just as guilty as the drunk driver except that they are even more responsible for her death since they had the chance to act and save her but stupidly didn't. The Chief should resign and is lucky that this wasn't his daughter - he would have felt differently if this would have been his child. Maybe his lesson is coming soon. He should never be allowed to make life and death choices since he is a typical selfish idiot who defends his "people" without thinking about others who are not in the same field.

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• March 7, 2008 by Arthur H. Moore

  Very likely the same people involved in this major life decision make smaller decisions no less casually than in this situation. We see it each day, the Parent who leaves their child alone in the car, the driver who talks on their cell phone, drives, tunes the radio all at the same time while crossing over the line or the person walking at night wearing dark clothing. All make decisions and hold others accountable for their poor choice. The EMT may not have caused the accident, but his/her decision certainly led to her death.

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• March 19, 2008 by B. Ruble

  I have been trained as an EMT. During that training we were told that only the medical examiner who goes to the scene and/or a doctor in a HOSPITAL can declare someone as dead. This included paramedics who are more highly skilled than EMT's. In this case the paramedics should have done life support and transported the victim immediately to the hospital where doctors and nurses would have taken over her care. I am not saying this person would have survived, but they would have given her a chance to possibly get a life saving procedure done while she was still within that "golden hour" window.

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• March 31, 2008 by terrance tattrie

  I'm completely horrified after reading this. I think this fire chief needs to retire or be fired. The family and friends of this girl must be even more devastated after learning this.

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• April 16, 2008 by Jamie

  I would like to see some evidence that this even happened! Firemen are highly trained individuals and are always taught that you're not dead until the doctor says your dead, so lets see that article that supports this story?!

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  • April 28, 2008 by Mia

    Do u see the words that are underlined at the beginning of the second paragraph? Click them. That's the link to the article:) This article is beyond outrageous and his lack of remorse is astounding! As the parent or finance to this student, I would not rest until they issued a public formal apology or letters of resignation because they are obviously all incapable of doing their jobs.

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• August 10, 2008 by Anita chiquita

  Replace them and DON'T reissue an EMT certificate to ANY of them.

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• August 20, 2008 by Angel Chandler

  These two EMTs were inept, casual and callous. I daresay there is a lot of legal culpability all the way around, as well. I say, reassign them so that those same two paramedics get to respond to all medical emergencies for the Chief and his loved ones. Then, we would likely see a different perspective and course of action on the Chief's part. Thank you.

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• September 5, 2008 by Grayce

  The same thing happened to my sister about 30 years ago in Jupiter, FL. When the paramedics arrived, the steering wheel was imbedded in her chest but she was breathing. The fire department cut the steering column and got her out of the car. The EMTs decided at that point she had died a left her on the ground with a tarp over her. Luckily for our family, about 45 minutes later a fireman noticed the tarp moving and they got her to the hospital. After 10 days in a coma and six months of recovery she was back to normal. They should jail any unauthorized medical professional who denies treatment because they think someone has died.

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• May 18, 2009 by christiemoore

  I think it should have stopped with the drunk driver. Simple fact: he shouldn't even have been driving drunk. If he had any friends they should have driven him home. If he didn't have any friends then a family member should have. The paramedic wasn't paying attention and just wanted to get home fast to his family. Then on the other hand he could have been sacred of what the family would have said. I think if the paramedic would have acted on his influence he would have been able to save the young girl. I know it was only an accident but, by experience, I know what a drunk driver can do to an innocent person who doesn't deserve to lose his live. Once you lose a close friend or love one to a drunk driver, your life is never the same - especially if it’s your sister’s son. The same thing happened to my nephew and believe me, the mourning never stops. You mourn that person for years and years until the day you die and go to be with them in heaven.

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• May 28, 2009 by brandon lehn

  They should for sure apologize because they could have saved her life. That's not cool at all. Plus they should take the victim to the hospital just to make sure.

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• June 4, 2009 by Dehnay M Vincent

  I am so saddened by this lack of remorse. That fire chief should have apologized, so should have the paramedics, and the drunk driver. They will hopefully go the rest of their lives remembering that they killed an innocent 23 year old and see if they can rest easy. I do understand people make mistakes, every single person does, but to be told twice! That poor young lady laid there covered like she was nothing more than the wreck itself. It makes me furious to know a trained paramedic can't even tell when someone is still alive? They all should be fired and their certification taken from them. No more for them. And the Chief, should be ashamed for the rest of his life!

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• November 18, 2009 by Robert Burns

  Why are we supprised when people play CYA. The problem is in the usa we have to shift responsibility for wrong decisions.Look at our schools,no one is wrong,no one is accountable. Why are we suprised at this wasted DEATH!

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