A 56-year-old Ohio patient was killed in an accident on Interstate 71 on Aug. 15 while being transported in an ambulance. According a report, the driver said she was checking her GPS and looked away from the roadway. A crash investigation and toxicology reports are pending, but not charges were filed at the time of reporting.

The patient, a 56-year-old Cleveland resident, died at the accident site. The driver and another emergency medical technician, who is 30 years old, suffered minor injuries in the crash and were taken to a Mansfield medical facility.

The accident happened at about 11:45 p.m. when the 30-year-old ambulance driver looked at her cellphone GPS to determine the hospital arrival time because the GPS device installed in the vehicle was not operational. She admitted to police she glanced away from the roadway for a few seconds, and the vehicle’s sirens or lights were not engaged. The ambulance, allegedly traveling about 75 mph, left the road and hit a guardrail on the exit ramp and traveled over an embankment sideways. As the ambulance turned over, the patient and another EMT were thrown from the vehicle.

A fatal accident may impact on the financial situation of the victim’s family. For example, the deceased dependents may suffer because they are no longer receiving financial support. In addition, they might be confronted with damages associated with the death, including emergency medical expenses or funeral costs. In an effort to recover compensation for those losses, the family of a deceased car accident victim might file a wrongful death lawsuit with the help of a personal injury lawyer. Through that action, the plaintiffs might pursue a settlement from the at-fault parties or may receive a favorable judgment if the case is taken to court.

Source: EMS1.com, “Ohio EMT admits to using cellphone GPS in fatal crash“, September 16, 2014