By Ron Fonger and Shannon Murphy
The Flint Journal
Copyright 2008 The Flint Journal
FENTON TWP., Michigan — The first ambulance called to help a fatally injured 7-year-old after a dirt bike crash Monday broke down before a second ambulance reached the second-grader, causing a long delay in getting him to the hospital.
Tyler Waller of Oakland Township in Oakland County died about 8 p.m. at Genesys Regional Medical Center from injuries he received after crashing his dirt bike into a steel pole at Fenton Indoor Motocross three hours earlier, said Genesee County Sheriff Robert J. Pickell.
Pickell said concerns have been raised about a 22-minute delay in ambulance response to the scene, but said he wasn’t sure if the delay contributed to the boy’s death.
County 911 Director Lloyd Fayling also said the Regional EMS response time was 22 minutes and the ambulance driver had to call to get directions.
Regional EMS denied it took that long and also said its crew was never confused about the location of the motocross.
Police are investigating what happened to the second-grader but don’t expect to pursue any charges.
“Right now it looks like an unfortunate accident,” Pickell said.
An autopsy was expected to be completed Tuesday afternoon, and Tyler’s father told The Flint Journal that his son died of internal injuries.
Police said Tyler lost control of his bike about 5 p.m., causing him to crash into a pole near the dirt track. Witnesses said the boy was complaining of chest and stomach pain and had trouble breathing while waiting for the ambulance.
Pickell said that a sheriff’s paramedic was on scene within 8 minutes working on Tyler, who was conscious at the time. Trained first-aid staff at the track and Fenton Township firefighters, who were first on scene, also helped to stabilize the boy.
“We took every precaution possible,” said Tommy Barron, general manager at the track. Riders are required to sign waivers to use the track.
Nancy Dumas O’Neill, a spokeswoman for Botsford Health Care, the parent company of Community EMS, said the company is investigating what caused the Regional EMS ambulance to break down.
Regional EMS is a division of Community EMS.
O’Neill said a second ambulance sent to the accident actually arrived in slightly less than 19 minutes — not the 22 minutes reported by Pickell and Fayling.
O’Neill said the rig’s crew did call to confirm the intersection where the motocross was located but was never confused about directions.
Regional’s ambulance base is less than 6 miles from the accident scene, but broke down near its destination, forcing another ambulance to be dispatched.
Until January, Regional EMS was on probation because of what regulators called a “pattern of delayed responses” for more than two years to emergency calls and because of other problems.
Regional was allowed to operate while on probation but was required to give its dispatchers more training, show that it was using updated map books of Genesee County, and to turn over its dispatching policies and procedures to the county Medical Control Authority, which regulates ambulance transport in the county.
Medical Control said at the time of the probation that 15 of 17 allegations from January 2005 to May 2007 against the company for delayed responses and dispatching trouble were valid.
Fayling said he was “puzzled” by the need for directions to an address on a heavily used road like Thompson.
“It will sometimes occur on (out-of-the-way) streets, but Thompson Road — that’s a main road with an exit at U.S. 23,” he said.
Quick response times can be crucial for people who need help right away, and the county Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance last year that would change the existing ambulance system in the future.
The county’s current system allows any company with the proper licenses and credentials to receive calls — regardless of response time track record — if they operate the base closest to a call for help.
The new county ordinance has yet to be put into force but calls for dividing the county into two service zones and contracting with a company or companies for service within each zone.
The change is designed in part to hold companies accountable for response times.