Posted by mac0cm4 on March 26, 2008 at 6:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

So, both the girl and the medic unit were traveling the same direction, with the girl in front of the medic unit, an unknown distance. At an intersection, she turns left onto Pitt St, while the ambulance, which was behind her somewhere had pulled into the opposing traffic (legal, btw), and hit her in the side because she pulled left in front of it? Is this correct? If so... one would have thought the large white truck with lights and sirens from behind would have been visible/audible. Did she try to beat the ambulance, figuring she could turn left before the unit reached the intersection? The wording in the article "just as the ambulance drove into the opposing lane.." leads me to believe it was pretty close to her vehicle, close enough for the 200W of sirens and Lord knows how many flashing lights to have their effect.

"Warren said each county has its own policies regarding emergency responses, but in general ambulances are required to obey all traffic laws and do not automatically have the right of way, he said."

Wrong. State code advises that traffic laws can be violated with ***due regard*** for safety.

"Still, it's impossible to predict what other motorists on the road will do. "It's not an easy task. They will stop in front of you. Instead of pulling to the right, they pull to the left.""

It's because of poor public education - and I don't mean the schools. Same poor public education and general ignorance that cause people think it's okay to call 911 to ask what time it is, or how long they bake a turkey for, or if they're supposed to have a savings account when they turn 30. I'm not making this up.

Posted by BooDaddy on March 26, 2008 at 6:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

A vibrant young woman balanced on the dawn of her life at graduation... is gone. She can't be replaced. That driver should be sued for millions and his employer and the maker of the ambulance and the city.

NOTHING will replace a life kicked into another world by the bumper of a poorly managed emergency vehicle.

The only form of remedy that remains to her survivors is all the dirty money a team of competent lawyers can obtain. Is it possible to avoid litigation? Only with another team of highly competent lawyers. In the end, no one will have money but the attorneys and they will never have enough.

I propose a new system of traffic fatality acknowledgement conspicuously posted at geographic locations in the city to ALERT the public about the fatal risks attached to driving, walking, jogging... in public where they may come into contact with other persons unexpectedly... with fatal consequences. Post pictures of the victims to lamp posts as a tribute to the LOST life. Only awareness can promote responsibility.

Posted by jammer on March 26, 2008 at 6:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

mac I know you're a cop but it isn't legal for that ambulance to cross the yellow line when there isn't a safe clearance to do so

I believe if you look into it you will find the ambulance sited for "contributing" to the accident as they say

it is the responsibility of the emergency vehicle to make sure they can safely pass before doing so, even running lights and siren

but it was an accident, no one meant to harm another, much less the way this turned out...

my sincere condolences to the family and friends, as well as for the drivers of that ambulance who must also be going through a rough time dealing with this

hopefully this tragedy will promote more cautious safer travels for emergency vehicles, or anyone...

Posted by watchdog on March 26, 2008 at 7:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Mac, Your right about the education in this state. The driving here is not safe. I see people making right hand turns from the left lane, driving 30 mph in the passing lane, they do not stop at pedestrian crossings on Calhoun st., and yes the worst , is pulling over to the right for emergency vehicles. I am deeply sorry for what happened, but I do not blame the ambulance driver, I blame the system that we have in place in our state. We need educational reform and proper safty training for our citizens.

Posted by BobH1962 on March 26, 2008 at 7:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"Warren said each county has its own policies regarding emergency responses, but in general ambulances are required to obey all traffic laws and do not automatically have the right of way, he said."

Obviously Mr Warren doesn't watch these ambulances when they are driving on the streets. Running red lights without even slowing down, making illegal turns, weaving in between traffic, driving too close to the vehicle in front of the ambulance. These are every day occurences, maybe Mr Warren should remind these ambulance drivers that they are required to obey traffic laws.

I agree that someone should be held accountable for the loss of this persons life. I am sure there is an attorney that would love to take this case.

Posted by Hey_U_Guys on March 26, 2008 at 7:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"The agency is not likely to look into Tuesday's accident in Charleston because the ambulance was not carrying a patient at the time, Myrick said."

They don't want legal action to be taken by the family if an investigation is completed and they find the paramedics were at fault. Can you say "wrongful death" suit?

I think it's ridiculous how there has to be a patient inside the ambulance in order for an investigation to be started. A life was lost. If these were just two ordinary cars, both with only drivers, the police would be looking into it. Plain and simple.

Posted by palmettoruckus on March 26, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Someone is held accountable. Herself. Its her fault she turned and wasn't paying attention. If she was paying attention, she wouldn't have gotten hit and died.

Posted by abitskeptical on March 26, 2008 at 7:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

macocm4--are you aware that this EMS was traveling in a highly congested and noisy area of downtown?

This accident occurred within the same block that the major construction is going on across from the C of C library and it occurred during the morning rush, when the students are crawling all over the place on the way to and from classes.

"Due regard" for safety would not involve anyone speeding for any reason in that area.

Posted by Hey_U_Guys on March 26, 2008 at 7:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I would like to know if the ambulance had turned on the sirens and lights before the accident happened.

Also, driving on those crappy downtown streets is dangerous enough without speeding vehicles. Even the emergency vehicles should exercise a little more caution while driving downtown. The street layouts are a joke.

Posted by Paul on March 26, 2008 at 7:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

An investigation is needed to assign the guilty party. But, it sounds like "They" have already made up their minds to not investigate ... ?

Posted by jennjenn629 on March 26, 2008 at 8:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey U Guys it doesn't say it's not being investigated. Believe me it's being investigated. What is says is that the state EMS agency is not investigating. The police are investigating the incident. And yes the ambulance would have had their lights and siren on, especially if they were crossing the line into an opposing lane of traffic. If you don't believe that, the data from the "black box" will reveal that. Unfortunately, even if she wasn't listening to a radio or talking on a cell phone, at times a person will not hear a siren until the truck is almost on top of them. Driving an emergency vehicle is not easy. People do not always pull over or if they do they rarely pull to the right and stop as they should. So, you add the urgency of getting to a possibly life-threatening emergency and traffic unpredictability. It's a recipe for disaster unfortunately.

Yes an ambulance is allowed to cross the yellow line. And that opposing lane was probably clear initially, but it was suddenly not clear when the young lady turned left. The driver of the ambulance will more than likely be found the guilty party but I believe both parties attributed to this incident. An ambulance versus a mid-size car is a no contest win for the ambulance. Even at a slower rate of speed there would be significant damage. This is a rare type of incident. It is tragic, someone will probably be making money from it, and unfortunately nothing is going to ease the pain for this girl's family. My heart goes out to every person involved.

Posted by pissedoffmedic on March 26, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Everyday we are almost hit in our units by drivers not paying attention. The LAW is to pull right. not left, not stop in front of us. Today's accident is brutal, we would never, ever want this to happen.

As for coming into oncoming lanes??? We only do that as a last choice, when traffic is not moving or cannot move. The vehicle turned left from the right of the unit at the last second. Originally going in the same direction.

Can't hear us??? No surprise. Cars our now made to block out our sirens, because god forbid people should be disturbed from their little nests. Add a radio (not needing to be loud) or air/heater running, etc. And,no, you won't hear us until we're there. That's why people MUST use their mirrors and wait a moment before going.

YES, we are to follow rules of the road and use due regard. But, many, many times we are given very little choice. As for the comment to use a different route??? Would you want us to do that and add time to the response to you or your family member?? Watch how CofC students cross the road at midday, with no regard to traffic, crosswalks or signal lights...add that to traffic and you see what we're up against. Going down a side street is just as dangerous, our units are large, so a main thouroughfare is necessary.

Different rules for Edisto vs. downtown??? Rubbish. All medics rotate through the county and drive with regard for the area they are in.

I am deeply saddened by this young lady's life being lost. We do this job to help, not do harm. Sadly, though, we are not given the respect on the roadways that we desperately need and now that an accident that has become fatal occurs, suddenly it's finally discussed.

Please, yield to all emergency vehicles. In general you need to take a second and see what's around you before you go after the light turns green. Stop tailgating us and everyone else. Slow down. Drive towards others as you want them to drive around you.

I'm deeply sorry for her death....but, my heart goes out to my comrade who now has to live with the horror of being part of what took a life.

Posted by ColdBeer on March 26, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Someone posted about this incident in last night's article. The person that posted was in the car right behind this young woman. The poster stated that he/she did not hear the siren or see the lights of the ambulance until it was along side of him/her and that he/she did not have the stereo turned up and was not talking on a cell phone.

This is a tragic accident. The driver of the ambulance was most likely driving as trained. Still, I feel our "system" is at fault here. Emergency vehicles need to understand that they are not driving in a manner consistant with the rest of traffic and they need to take extra precautions because of this. Yes, there is a need for them to get to a scene as fast as possible, but as this instance shows, a few seconds of delay in slowing down will usually not hurt their response time. In this case, the ambulance never made it to the scene at all. There is a point of diminishing returns and that point was exceeded this time. The thought process, procedures and training for emergency response drivers needs to be modified.

Bottom line, a terrible accident. A life was lost and the person that caused that loss of life was only trying to do the right thing as they saw it to be at the time.

Posted by grits1973 on March 26, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It's a very sad story and my heart goes out to the family of the woman who died and to the EMTs involved and their families. There will be an investigation, and the ambulance carries its own "black box" like an airplane that will show how fast it was traveling at the time of the accident and if it's lights and sirens were operational. Everyone should wait until these findings are made public before passing judgement. And, let this tragedy be a reminder to everyone to be observant when you drive and always yield to emergency vehicles. If you or your loved one were the person waiting for help, you would want that ambulance driver to do everything possible to reach you quickly -- keep that in mind!

Posted by raregar67 on March 26, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

So sad a young lady died, cut down much too soon. When southern drivers become emergency vehicle drivers they carry those poor driving skills w/ them. Much more driver's education, a later date for being elgible for a license, and following traffic laws in their personal vehicles would make a difference. Frankly I have never seen the # of accidents involving school buses, fire trucks, cop cars, and sadly ambulances until I moved here. Regardless of who was at fault here the young lady's family is in my prayers.

Posted by Larz13 on March 26, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I wonder if Leon beat Akim to the phone on this one.

Posted by tygers1231 on March 26, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

palmettoruckus:
You may need to step back and take a look at your life...what a "cold hearted" person YOU ARE!! Regardless, a beautiful life was lost in what could have been prevented. I have seen with my eyes, how dangerous some of the emergency vehicles drive (ie ambulances, cops, firetrucks) yes, they should be on their way to a call, however, some think because they have their sirens on they can drive any way they choose. I have also seen some without any lights or sirens driving as if they were on the way to a call without warning any other traffic. My husband had to swerve the other day in Goose Creek to prrevent a Charleston cop from hitting us while he was tailgating the car in front of him, he did NOT have any lights on, no siren, he was on his cell phone slouched over like he was riding the strip, we he got around us and the other car, he drove up quickly on another car and tailgating them until they decided to get out of his way. He was slow close, that if either of the other cars would have had to slam on breaks, he would have had the cop car in their back seat.

I am sure that the two EMS were not out on a mission to kill anyone, they were out doing their job and the unthinkable happened. They too will always have to live with this hurt. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of this young lady, the ems driver, and ALL that witnessed this. So many lives affected in a splint second.

Posted by proudmomma on March 26, 2008 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

My prayers are with Emily's family and friends.

Other questions:
Did another ambulance respond to the original call? Was that person okay? And how did emergency services respond to the accident? They obviously got her to the hospital within a short period of time.

Posted by ColdBeer on March 26, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

raregar67, I agree with you on most things, but I think using a generalization like "southern drivers" is a bad choice. I've lived in Philly, Chicago, LA, San Fran, Idaho Falls, Orlando, Atlanta, Oahu, Norfolk and the Low Country. I've seen bad driving everywhere and no one place appeared to be worse than any of the rest. We have a large number of poor drivers here. I'm surprised that road rage incidents aren't on the news every day. It's no worse than any place else I've lived though. Generalizations are always a bad choice.

Posted by Corder2007 on March 26, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

how awful and what a tragic loss. She was about to graduate in May!!! I wish to express the deepest sympathies to the family of Ms. Saulisbury. She was obviously an exceptional woman and human being! I am so sorry for your loss.

Posted by tigerridge on March 26, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey BobH1962, I bet if you had been the one that called for the ambulance to come to the aid of a family member having a heart attack you would be the one complaining that the ambulance took 10 minutes too long to get there....How many lives do the paramedics SAVE everyday that goes unnoticed...

This was purely an accident with tragic consequences, but to blame those first responders is unjust...

Posted by raregar67 on March 26, 2008 at 9:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

coldbeer...perhaps a better choice of words would have been "drivers I have observed in the south" since surely some are transplants. The points are valid when not robbed of context that poor driving habits follow you from when you first learn how to drive and are licensed. Like yourself I see road rage as the potential for less than prudential behavior from drivers in a hurry (perhaps to go nowhere). EMS drivers not included BTW.

Posted by companykid88 on March 26, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

all these people on here blaming the "EMS DRIVERS"!!! Excuse me, but i know in fact that i with due reguard but i also know that when i get to where im goin the PT always complains about why it took so long. WTF!?!?!?! if people would stop calling 911 for such STUPID reasons ambulances wouldnt have to drive with "lights and sirens" so much. They were doing their job. And to the idiot on here that asked if their lights were on Before the accident. you, my friend, are an idiot! its people like you that give the "EMS PEOPLE" a bad name, questioning people like that. Yes its tragic someone died. But when just some joe schmo kills someone in a traffic collision there isnt this big a deal. there is too many of the STUPID "i wanna get rich so im gonna sue" people out there. if thats the first thing that comes to your mind, you are a selfish person. AND YOU HAVE NO SYMPATHY!!! how do you think the medic crew on the truck feels? that man or woman has to live with this for the rest of their life. do you think they went to work and said, "hey, i wanna drive fast and kill somebody"? i dont think so. they were exspecting to probably go to a call like that. not to be the call. SO to all you hypocrits that blame the EMS drivers. think before you ramble on, your most likely the same people that dont move out of the way of the ambulances, fire trucks, but you move for the cops. only so they dont give you a ticket. am i right or what? Good luck to Charleston County, and i am very sorry for the family. remember the CHARLESTON 9. DONT PARK IN THE FIRE LANE!!!!!!!

Posted by misterklaus on March 26, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

All I have to say if you have a problem with the way that emergency vehicle operators respond to calls next time a loved one of yours is injured or in need of immediate care please ask the 911 dispatcher to send the units with no lights and siren. As for me I am going to want them to run them and get there as fast as humanly possible.

I have to ask does any one really think that the operator of the vehicle was out there to take a life? Do you think that if they knew that they were going to kill someone that they would have done something different. Realize that quite a few problems that you have with the way that these drivers respond are due to the fellow drivers on the road.

Do us all a favor and when you see lights and sirens coming follow the law. Pull to the right and stop, yield the right of way.

I don't know what happened out their yesterday and neither do you. Leave the investigation to the Sheriffs office and Highway patrol that is what they are paid for. I seriously doubt many of you monday morning quarterbacks have ever taken a fatal accident investigation class and if you were you would probably realize that there is a lot more factors in play than are listed in this article.

And one last thing Boo Daddy are you serious. Sue the ambulance manufacturer and city? Why don't they sue mcdonalds and walmart while they are at it. The ambulance manufacturer just made the thing and it just happened to happen in the city. They are county employees operating county machinery. I am sure that there will be a suit towards the county and the operator, and that is rightfully so.

My condolences go out to the family of the victim and the paramedics. This is a horrible accident that is going to change their lives forever. Thanks to all of you that go out every day and serve our community.

Posted by allwoman on March 26, 2008 at 9:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I witnessed people disregard the lights and sirens of fire engines this morning on Rivers Ave. while I was on the way to work. We were at the stoplight (that was green for us) when the fire trucks started coming out of the station. I was in the front of the line so I stopped and so did the vehicle in the center lane next to me. The other vehicles; however, decided that they didn't need to stop and sped right through causing the last emergency vehicle to have to stop and wait to make sure all was clear. My first thought was, what if the fire engine decided to continue through the intersection? Someone would have been hit all because they didn't yield to the emergency vehicle.

I am sorry for this family's loss and I pray that others will take this as a lesson to watch out for the emergency vehicles and obey the rules at all times.

Posted by jas31263 on March 26, 2008 at 9:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Not to malign the dead. But I've seen the way people drive in the Charleston area. Blatant disregard for traffic signals, talking on or texting on cell phones; and generally just bad driving. I moved from DC to the Charleston area and my insurance jumped almost $100 per month. That's got to tell you something right there. No I dont know this girl, she was probably a very cautious driver, but as was stated the ambulance was using its lights and sirens. You cant miss them. My feeling is she may have been trying to beat the ambulance or was talking on a cell phone (not paying attention) and unfortunately put herself in their path. It seems like the article above and the reporting that has been done is slanted at finding fault with the Ambulance. We have to remember that these people drive these vehicles daily and they take courses on how to operate them safely. That's not saying that they're never at fault (they're human) but I would believe that between the two the casual driver is more likely to do something to cause the accident than the Emergency vehicle driver. My observation is that Charleston drivers either panic or they try to beat the ambulance if they're crossing an intersection. Especially if the light is changing.

Maybe we should put a Gamecock up in lieu of a red light, because Charlestonians are most certainly color blind.

Posted by LadyTarHeel on March 26, 2008 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

My condolences to the family and friends of this young lady. I saw this accident happen yesterday and it has haunted me since. As I stated in my posts yesterday, I was outside of my car and did not hear the sirens until the ambulance was right beside me and I was parked steps away from where the accident happened.

We can all sit here and point the finger, but it does no good. A life was lost in a tragic and horrific way and that should be the focus. I'm sure the EMTs and everybody who witnessed it are dealing with what happened and going through all the what ifs. Hind sight is 20/20 and lest we not forget that we all have made mistakes while driving and had close calls, its just that this lady lost her life from this mistake.

Posted by SCHoser on March 26, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What selfish people we have here. This accident is a perfect example of how most are leading their lives-always in a hurry and to hell with everyone else. Add to that the fact that car manufacturers now tote the silence of the interior and all the distractions-luxuries- this was bound to happen. People drive with cell phones glued to their ears, watching dvd players while driving, and the list goes on and on. We are so caught up in our luxuries, we have forgotten the necessities. It is absolutely necessary for us to have emergency vehicles getting to their destination as fast as possible-and yes, seconds count! They are dealing with life or death-hopefully it won't be for some of you one day. Maybe some of you in here should put your names on a list so that when you are in dire need and about to frickin die, you don't want the cops/ambulance/fire truck to come ASAP-no lights, no sirens and no speeding! To the IDIOT who said to sue everyone-'nuff said there already! I do feel for this young lady and her family, it has to suck to lose a loved one no matter what the circumstance. I wonder if they wished for the ambulance that took her to MUSC had its lights/siren on and driving as fast as possible....just a thought.

Posted by icbmman on March 26, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For your information, here is what the state's traffic laws say about yielding to emergency vehicles (notice that stopping is ONLY applicable on a 2-lane road):

"SECTION 56-5-2360. Operation of vehicles on approach of authorized emergency vehicles.

(a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle making use of an audible signal meeting the requirements of Section 56-5-4970 and visual signals meeting the requirements of Section 56-5-4700, or of a police vehicle properly and lawfully making use of an audible signal or visual signal, the driver of every other vehicle traveling along a two-lane roadway shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible, to the right hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain in that position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police officer. A driver of a vehicle traveling along a multilane roadway shall yield the right-of-way and shall remain in, or move to a location that allows the emergency vehicle or police vehicle to pass safely, except as otherwise directed by a police officer.

(b) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway."

http://www.scstatehouse.net/code/t56c005...

Posted by Early on March 26, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)

pissedoffmedic, please elaborate on the special training for driving required to drive an ambulance. Is it a one day course, one week. What are the pre-qualifications to attend this training. Is their a failure rate or just a paper saying you were trained. I don't buy this rubbish about specially trained drivers. I hear what your saying and it's true however, if you know this happens all the time then you have to prepare yourself for this happening.
My condolences to the family of Emily!!!

Posted by CHRISJIII on March 26, 2008 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I witnessed this accident and it was a terrible thing to see. I don't think that 100% of blame can be attributed to either party, but the emergency vehicles do race through this very congested area all the time in route to help someone. The EMTs did have their sirens and lights on when the accident occurred, however it's very hard to hear them on top of all of the connstruction and there was so much traffic moving along Calhoun Street at that time of day. Maybe in future the emergency vehicles can use more caution and reduce their speed when traveling through this area. Many times they have to use their terrifyingly loud horns to get the attention of motorists on Calhoun so that they can pass. Just seeing the way that the emergency vehicle plowed into that small car you knew that the driver was not going to survive.

Posted by Early on March 26, 2008 at 10:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Is it me getting older or is it the emergency vehicles sirens don't sound as loud as they use to?

Posted by nty05 on March 26, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Early,
Are you kidding me? Do you actually think we are able to just hop in an ambulance and just start driving around? No special training, eh? I am so flabbergasted by your post...or maybe that is disgust that I am feeling.

Posted by jas31263 on March 26, 2008 at 10:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey Early, the training Pissedoffmedic is referring to is a week long, not to mention any refresher training they may have to attend. But I can guarantee that YOU never had any formal training except what you recieved in high school in drivers ed (fat lot that did for you) or what daddy told you when you had to drive him around for your permit.

So by comparison Ambulance drivers and Firefighters recieve one hell of a lot more training than John Q Public does. And unless you've enrolled yourself in a defensive driving course for the pure fun of it, I doubt your driving skills or your opinion of their training holds much water.

Posted by jca on March 26, 2008 at 10:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

those sirens are very loud. newer cars are more sound proof to keep outside noise out. theres a commercial on now with some group of animals sleeping on a seat and tons of outside noise going on to prove they cant be disturbed. scary huh

driving in charleston is horrific people dont care. music is blaring and they talk on phones.or text. people speed excessively down there.

the first article said she turned into the path of the ems that proves to me she didnt bother to look or looked and decided she could beat it.

most likely didnt look and was gabbing on a cell phone to her friends

young female drivers are the most dangerous. they dance to loud music speed and talk or text on cell phones all at the same time.

high school drivers also.

rest in peace emily

Posted by Corder2007 on March 26, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

hey pissedofmedic what does it mean when an ambulance is en route from a call with lights flashing going the speed limit but no sirens. I was told long ago that the patient has expired or was DOA.....please educate me on this.

Raregar how dare you pin point "southern drivers" how many in Charleston are actually true blue southerners and how many are transplants from the north and west that claim to be southern just b/c they moved here?

No matter who was at fault, a precious life is lost and that should be the focus right now, for her family and the 2 EMS employees. I can not imagine having to live with that for the rest of my life, but that sentence was imposed on the driver when the young woman passed away. My heart goes out to all of them!

Posted by charlestonroots on March 26, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It seems many of you do not see what is important here. A young life was lost in a terrible tragedy. A mother & father have lost their little girl. C of C has lost a promising graduate and many have lost a friend. She was on her way to class, just a typical day. Does it matter if she was running late? As a mother, my heart breaks for her family.

Posted by Gaylsie on March 26, 2008 at 11:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This makes me sick. It could have been any of our children driving that car. The EMS personel seem to think they are on the television show, "ER" and that they can disregard public safety so they can beat a path to their next victim/patient. They make money by showing up to treat and haul off someone to the hospital as fast as they can. I hope the family of this wonderful young lady makes them pay dearly because she and her family have paid a most precious price, Emily's life! And, yes, the AMBULANCE WAS AT FAULT!!

Posted by RTC on March 26, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I said on last night's comment board that I thought that it was in very poor taste for the P&C to post a video of the accident.
I really hope that her family back in W.VA doesn't know about this website. The pain of losing your child is unbearable enough without a video depicting firemen staring inside the vehicle at a deceased girl.
I found this video to be quite morbid, and I truly feel for all of you that had the misfortune to witness this tragedy.
My prayers go out to Emily's family and to the paramedics involved.
My heart just breaks for the loss of a young, promising life that has been cut short.

Posted by archdude on March 26, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Who gives a rat's butt if someone is or isn't "southern" or if they claim or do not claim to be "southern". Some of you buffoons are comical all the time with the good ol' southern this and that. You just make yourselves look like a band of monkeys throwing dung from the trees. It is not like "southern" equates to "genius".

Anyway, it was NOT the ambulance driver's fault. It was an accident and if people payed attention and obeyed rules of common sense with emergency vehicles you would not see such events happen. Yes, it is a tragic accident, but it was also avoidable.

Posted by vanessar on March 26, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It's sad that something like that happened to a person who was trying to do something good with her life. I passed the spot in which the accident occured on Pitt, and Calhoun Street. Their is a tree that seems like it was damage, and little pieces of glass on the ground. I would have thought that some one would leave flowers at the spot in her mermorial.

May she rest in peace, and my thoughts and prays go out to the family.

Posted by vanessar on March 26, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

One thing that does bother me is that when the cross walk says walk for pederstraion to go across the street,cars will still go by. Some one could get hurt. If you don't want to drive safe do not drive a car at all.

Posted by vanessar on March 26, 2008 at 12:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

One thing that does bother me is that when the cross walk says walk for pedesterians to go across the street,cars will still go by. Some one could get hurt. If you don't want to drive safe do not drive a car at all.

Posted by ed24689 on March 26, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Gaylsie: You have a very, very sad misunderstanding of the mentality of the Charleston County EMS EMT's and Paramedics that work everyday, doing the best they can to protect all lives in danger in this county. They go to hundreds of calls per day, and risk their reputations, careers and most assuredly their lives, going above and beyond the call of duty in every situation, on every call. These guys didn't get in their truck looking kill someone. They got in the truck hoping to save someone, and a tragic accident occurred. They do not think they are on ER. This isn't TV mam, these are the lives of people at risk. These medics work for ridiculously low pay, not to get rich, but to give to their community and to help others, which they do EVERY SINGLE DAY. If you ever have an emergency someday, you also will find out how hard these men and women will work, not for money, but for you. It is despicable the way in which you would put these people down without knowing. Do not be so quick to assume.

RTC: first of all, all of the news channels in Charleston have videos up of this, the aftermath of the situation. Most importantly, you should also know that there are no videos anywhere posted that show the scene while Emily was still present. She was pulled out of the car rapidly and tremendous efforts were made to revive her all the way to the hospital. There were no videos taken of her. In the Fire/EMS profession, we take extreme caution to ensure that the privacy of our patients is protected. We hold up tarps to prevent news crews from filming the scene while patients are around and news crews are around.

Corder: the lights on, without sirens, does not mean there is a dead person in the back. It does not mean anything. It is simply that they have turned off their sirens because they think there is not a risk to traffic, or is because they are trying to hear their radio's from dispatch better. This is a bad habit that EMS needs to take a closer look at.

Posted by Girleygirl on March 26, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There is nothing wrong with the emergency vehicle lights or sirens. Vehicles are made now a days with sound proof windows so you can't hear anything unless you roll down the window. This is a trajic accident and I do feel sorry for the young lady and her family, but I don't think anyone should blame anyone or company for this accident.

Archdude- What the heck is a dung?

Posted by flinsc on March 26, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have had a couple of times that I have not heard the ambulance until it was next to me. Especially if you have someone tailgating you or close behind you. It is up to everyone driving to be aware of their surroundings (both drivers and ambulances). I was not talking on my cell phone nor did have the radio at levels that I could not hear (I listen mostly to talk radio). It is an unfortunate situation. An investigation should be done.

Posted by Thomas1776 on March 26, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Seems to me the driver of the ambulance needs to be charged with reckless homicide.

The City PD has rules about zooming through heavy traffic. So whats up with EMS?

Put the brakes on to this stuff. Let a court decide. A young woman is dead as result of recklessness.

Posted by Thomas1776 on March 26, 2008 at 2:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

pissedoffmedic,

Nice name. BTW. I want this case put before the state grand jury.

Posted by Thomas1776 on March 26, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

companykid88,

People park in fire lanes all over the low country. If the P&C investigated, they would uncover that parking in fire lanes and handicap spots is hardly, if ever, enforced.

Want a good example? I stopped in at the Food Lion on Savannah Hiway on my way back home for Beaufort. I counted SIX cars parked in the fire lane with no one inside them. Those people have no respect for the rule of law. And neither did this EMS driver.

Posted by Thomas1776 on March 26, 2008 at 2:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"Dorchester County's rules require ambulances to stop at every intersection and to stay within 10 mph of the posted speed limit, Warren said."

And even the City Police Department has a policy.

Bring up charges on the EMS driver.

Posted by archdude on March 26, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Girleygirl

Dung is a word commonly used for animal manure. There is even a beetle (the dung beetle), a form of a scarab beetle, that feeds exclusively on the feces of other critters (although they prefer the dung of herbivores...they just roll some up into a ball and there it is).

Posted by archdude on March 26, 2008 at 2:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thomas1776

You are full of something that would most likely be censored here. Your four consecutive rants of wanting charges filed and a case before the grand jury are ridiculous. The EMS was doing as they should have done (and your stated quote refers to DORCHESTER COUNTY not CHARLESTON COUNTY, which if you read the article you will learn most likely has different rules).

Posted by dhroller on March 26, 2008 at 2:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

First, I want to send my deepest regrets to the family and friends of this young woman. This is a tragedy of utmost proportions.

Second, I wanted to say that this is a situation that has been narrowly missed on many occasions; including an incidence with me. Downtown has very narrow streets, there is not much room to move around and a lot of hospitals with emergency vehicles entering and exiting throughout the day. I agree, public education, especially for folks driving downtown on a daily basis must and should address this issue. We are all in a hurry and there is not enough hours in the day to get things done, but with proper caution and diligence things like this can be avoided.

Posted by hoyce on March 26, 2008 at 2:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

this is a tradgedy all around. a family lost their love one and these two ems workers have to live their lives with this weighing on them. To those passing such a harsh guilty judgement, the next time you call 911 and it takes a while. It's probably because they're stuck in a redlight, somebody won't pull over, or they're doing 25mph in your subdivision. These people care about people or else they wouldn't be in their profession. Maybe you should do something to help humanity instead of making the tv lawyers richer and polluting cyberspace.

Posted by hoyce on March 26, 2008 at 3:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

it would be nice to see more traffic violations (speeding, red light runners, fire lane parkers, etc). this would pump money into the economy and serve as an education for the offenders and those watching. they should recycle the speed limit signs on 526, then at least they would get some value from them. you get mowed over for doing less than 70.

Posted by ColdBeer on March 26, 2008 at 3:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't think charges are warranted for anyone based on the information that has been released so far. It sounds as if the EMS driver was driving exactly as taught and it also sounds like, due to who knows what, more than one driver failed to see the lights or hear the siren and, as a result, a terrible accident occurred.

I think what needs to happen is a review of the driving policies and training. Yes, I know the EMS personnel are doing the best they can to save lives and that they seldom get any gratitude for the work they do. I'm not slamming on them. The driving policies need to be changed. Cars are built almost sound proof now. There are TONS more cars on the road than there were 30 years ago and a lot of people are MUCH less considerate than they were 30 years ago. Driving a police, fire or EMS vehicle based on methods that worked in the 60s and 70s is not going to work now. Yes, if my loved one is dieing and I'm waiting on EMS I don't want them to have to slow down for anything, but I also don't want them to get in an accident and never make it at all.

I attended my brother in laws funeral in TN last week. As we drove to the cemetery, every car on the road, in both directions, pulled over and stopped as we went by. When was the last time you saw anything like that in the Low Country? Times have changed. Police, fire and emergency vehicle driving methods need to change too.

Posted by tacmedic293 on March 26, 2008 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Some of you people posting on this site just amaze me. You have know idea the training we go through to operate emergency vehicles. You aslo have no idea the training and advancements Charleston County EMS has made to avoid tragic accidents like this. Instead, you like to post on hear we should be sued and we race around like we think we are on ER and we drive these vehicles without due regards. You people are heartless.

Charleston County EMS not only makes their Paramedics and EMTs go through EVOC but they put black boxes on each truck because we are all aware in EMS that one day an accident like this will happen and the first thing people do is point the finger at EMS and say sue them and Charleston County. Secondly, Charleston County EMS has priority dispatching where all of the dispatchers at CCEMS are trained as EMD Dispatchers. This enables them to ask the right questions so they can dispatch the unit by priorities and the EMS Medic Units do not run lights and sirens to calls such as a cut finger(which we do get called for). It also makes us let our dispatchers know what priority the patient is so we do not run lights and sirens to the hospital unless we feel the patient needs to get there quickly(of course, this was done for the protection of you the same public that are slamming us on this website and hoping the family sues and the DA presses charges on the EMS driver). The thing you people don't know is the driver of the EMS unit will carry this with him/her the rest of thier life and will probably leave EMS all together. We sit here and protect you the public. We do not go out and see how many drivers we can cut off, how fast we can go to a call or how many drivers we can hit and kill. This is a terrible accident for all of those involved. My heart goes out to all the families and my heart goes out to you people that are posting on here because you are so judgemental on a subject you have no clue about. You do not know our rules at EMS and as I said the training we go through so please dont pretend you do.

It is funny that you see all the tributes that the Charleston 9 got(and yes 9 of them were my friends) from you same people and if an officer gets killed in the line of duty the same tributes go out but lest you care about the Paramedics that get sick and are exposed to countless diseases on a daily basis all for less than 35,000 per year but yet we do it and why, to be said how heartless we are. I only hope the next time you need EMS or see one of them you say thank you instead of calling us a killer.

Posted by MichaelsAdvocate on March 26, 2008 at 4:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Re: "The agency is not likely to look into Tuesday's accident in Charleston because the ambulance was not carrying a patient at the time, Myrick said."

***Oh, ye of little foresight. You had BETTER look into this. This is from the voice of experience. And the voice of one who by the grace of God avoided a pre-planned wreck for me ala the Redneck Mafia here in Lexington County.

I was patrolling the streets of West Columbia on a particularly politically stormy morning -- and an ambulance appeared on Platt Springs Road in West Columbia -- trying to get me to chase it, I guess, and a few blocks down Platt Springs Road, as I was going east -- a running tractor trailor with a load of NOTHING was right out in the road, ready to enter from the left -- ready to ram me. If I wouldn't have been alert -- and anticipating the moves of the Redneck Mafia -- I would have been decapitated. Right here, on Platt Springs Road. At 4:30 in the morning. And to my knowledge, the ambulance never delivered a patient to any hospital.

***Donnie Myers, Jake Knotts, your days are numbered***

Posted by archdude on March 26, 2008 at 4:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

MichaelsAdvocate

Paranoid much? Yep, the redneck mafia is out to get you...just like the gay mafia will be out to get all who cross stripes with checked patterns. Then again, maybe it was the Lowcountry Lynchers, Charleston Cabal, Summerville Set, or the Columbia Coterie that were out to get you.

Where do these people come from (rhetorical)?

Posted by allwoman on March 26, 2008 at 4:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

tacmedic293-

Thanks you for all that you do!

Posted by ColdBeer on March 26, 2008 at 4:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm just wondering what an ambulance looks like when it's "trying to get you to chase it" LOL...

MichaelsAdvocate, your post reads like a very poor first draft of a middle school mystery writing contest entry <lol>.

"on a particularly politically stormy morning" ROFL!

Let me guess... fog hung in the air like pea soup on a hot stove burner?

Posted by MichaelsAdvocate on March 26, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

archdude, coldbeer,

Uninitiated in real war, are you?

Posted by MichaelsAdvocate on March 26, 2008 at 5:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, are you?

Posted by svESinKW on March 26, 2008 at 5:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

My condolences to the family of Emily. I think this is just a tragic accident due to bad timing. I have a number of friends who are EMS personnel, and at least one of them is probably posting here today.

I have questions, though. I'm an educated person and I always pull over to the right when I can when I see and/or hear an emergency vehicle. However, what am I supposed to do when the right lane is full? Sometimes the drivers are not even stopped. Do I just stop in the left lane? Do I try to muscle my way over (possibly causing another accident)?

What about when I'm in a dedicated left turn lane? That has happened to me more than once. Do I risk my life and others by trying to move to the right?

What I've been doing in these situations is just staying put where I am and not moving until the emergency vehicle is past my position (regardless of the color of the traffic signal) but I'm not sure that's even correct. I don't see any language in the law posted earlier that covers my questions.

I also wonder about the potential law being discussed about ticketing/fining/jailing people who do not pull to the right. What if there is simply no room to do so? Will there be in a provision in the law for that?

I hope none of this sounds ignorant. I just need to know.

While I do think that people need to be better drivers and more aware of emergency vehicles, sometimes laws protecting ourselves from ourselves do more harm than good.

Posted by disco on March 26, 2008 at 5:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To all the EMTs out there - I would like to THANK YOU! This is tragic, but you guys save lives everyday and are totally taken for granted. Several times I have witnessed vehicles totally disregard your sirens and keep driving. Hopefully, this will be lesson to us all to be more aware of our surroundings when we are driving!

Posted by MichaelsAdvocate on March 26, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

EMS personnel, though we thank you, you are not immune to the induction tactics of the Redneck Mafia. Know your source.

Posted by RandyColeman on March 26, 2008 at 5:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I am from Charleston, West Virginia, friends of the Salisbury family. Emily was a close friend of my two daughters. She was an outstanding young lady who came from a caring, generous family - some of the finest people I know.
I understand the occasional value of a forum such as this. Public discussion can be healthy. But as you toss around the merits of what you think Emily and/or the EMS drivers should or should not have done, please, please, please consider how callous some of the opinions on this forum look.
Emily Salisbury was a young woman who exhibited smarts, grace and sweetness her entire life. She was pleasant as a child and as a young adult. I never heard my children or any of their friends say a negative word about her - ever. They said plenty of positive things.
She deserves better than to have someone say she died because of poor public education or she wouldn't have died if she'd been paying attention.
I know that I should have stopped reading after the first post on this forum. I'm sorry I didn't.

Posted by tacmedic293 on March 26, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

svESinKW...

When that occurs it is up to the driver of the medic unit as to how to proceed. If he/she sees that you are block in the left lane and cannot move then they may at their own choice go to the right if it is the safer option for everyone at the intersection. However, as the law states we must pass on the left so if an accident occurs as a result of this then it is OUR FAULT. This is made very clear to us when we take EVOC. The driver should slow and weigh his or her options. If at all possible, please pull to the right instead of stopping right where you are as even at slow speeds it is tough to stop such a heavy vehicle.

Randy,

You are exactly right. It is a shame that these post are even allowed under such a story. This was tragic for all those involved and a sweet loving woman with the rest of her life ahead of her was taken but we at EMS feel compelled to defend ourselves when we know what our rules are and what we obey them every day while on the job. The real shame here too Randy is all the negative post would have cared less if it was just a drive by shooting or a regular two car accident with a death. it only becomes an issue when it involves Public Safety because people sometimes think we are prone to be perfect and NEVER make mistakes.

Posted by raregar67 on March 26, 2008 at 5:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thomas 1776... While your points are valid you and I are in the minority. You and I will not be understood until Posters take the time to read the whole story and all responses. Continue to press for an outside oversight, I have run into a brick wall. Internal probes are quite silly.

Posted by pmedic39 on March 26, 2008 at 5:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

With all the problems within the Charleston County EMS, I am surprised that it has taken this long for another accident to kill someone. There is a complete lack of administration, coordination and morale at the EMS. The director does not have touch with the reality of administering a service of that size and call volume. It is CCEMS policy NOT to run the siren in the downtown area of Charleston and unless they are at an intersection not to have it on anywhere in the county. This statement came for Capt. Lynn Bost at a CEVO-II drivers class in July of 2007, who was the instructor of this class.

The service is severely understaffed and force employees to work 36 to 48 hours in a row without a break or sleep. It is the County Force policy. It states they can force someone to work over once every 7 days. This happens about every 7 days for every employee. So how long were these employees forced to work when this accident happened?

The ambulances the County buys is from Taylor Made Ambulances in Arkansas and are the lowest bidder. They are always the lowest bidder for every ambulance contract they bid on. Does this seem strange to anyone but me? Taylor Made Ambulance does not provide any warranty on any ambulance they build, unlike every other ambulance builder in the country. This should raise more concern to those of you that live inside Charleston County.

The biggest concern is that how long is it going to be before the EMS has it's own "Charleston Nine" event with the current management in place? How long are you going to stand idly by and let this happen again?

Posted by unija on March 26, 2008 at 6:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

How many of you look behind you, into the lane where traffic should be coming toward you, when you are turning left?

Posted by COFC2007 on March 26, 2008 at 6:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is a very sad say for the Salibury family as well as COFC because we lost a very talented person who probably had a promising future. As for these dummies making the usually dumb comments everyday y'all need to go straight to h--- because it is the same thing everyday. Regardless we need to respect Emily regardless who was at fault in the accident. Again my heart and prayers goes out to the Salibury family.

Posted by MichaelsAdvocate on March 26, 2008 at 6:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Mr. Randy Coleman,

Callous is the operative word. You are dealing with a populace that has been hardened to the "real life" situation. You can thank Donnie Myers, aka Dr. Death, and his Redneck Mafia for the poisoning of previously sane minds here. It is not the typical scenario. My heart goes out to Emily, her family, and what her life would have been. That is all I can say. God be with you Sir.

Posted by RTC on March 26, 2008 at 6:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

ed24689, thank you for clarifying the facts about the video for me. You are right about the tv stations, as they are the first to put stuff like this on the news. I know that EMS personnel are very professional, as I had to call them for my mother-in-law once. I didn't care that their muffler burnt my grass up either. That showed me that the unit had run really hard to get to us.
The medics were very professional in their manner, and they even insisted on cleaning up behind themselves. I was a medic in the military, and I appreciated the efficiency in which they handled my in law's condition.
I mistakenly thought that the man in the video was going back to stare inside at Emily, and I didn't realize that the young lady had already been transported.
I appreciate all that emergency personnel do for our community. I remember the days when we didn't have EMS, and many lives were lost.
I have a daughter Emily's age, so things like this hit very close to home for a mother.

Thank you all for your service.

Posted by svESinKW on March 26, 2008 at 6:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank you tacmedic293 for your good answer. I guess I'll keep doing what I've been doing (try to move right but if not then just stopping so the EV can get around me without trying to guess what I'll do next). It just seems like it's not enough. And I certainly don't want to get ticketed/fined/jailed simply because the right lane is already full!

RandyColeman: I am so sorry that you read all this. I try not to read the posts on stories that I feel emotional about because of the "monday morning quarterbacks" with their holier-than-thou attitudes but, as you can understand, sometimes curiosity (and the rare minute or two of boredom) surpasses my better judgment. Often, I end up losing my temper and posting something that probably could have been worded in a more kind and intelligent manner. I regret some of the posts I've written, if not in content, at least in tone.

Most people who post here are thoughtful and intelligent (even if I may not always agree with them) while there are some who just don't have anything better to do with their time than to post nastiness and negativtiy, because they can, because they're anonymous. It's sad but probably an accurate microcosm of society in general. If you've ever wasted precious time reading the comments posted on national news story blogs, such as AOL, you'll know I'm right.

Please accept my condolences (again) on the loss of your friend. And please try not to judge us all in the low country based on the few that were insensitive.

Posted by Gaylsie on March 26, 2008 at 8:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To pissedoffmedic
I just read your comments and was compelled to respond. It seems that many EMS persons have voiced their opinions here. You certainly have a right to your opinion, however a young innocent girl was killed needlessly. Is it the public’s fault that automobiles are more insulated from outside sounds? Based on some of the other comments, a woman directly behind Emily and in front of the ambulance stated that she didn’t even know an ambulance was behind her until the ambulance zoomed around to the left of her car. From that and other comments it sounds like the ambulance driver turned on his siren just as he sped around that woman and seconds before slamming into Emily’s car. Someone else stated that Charleston County restricts the use of the siren unless it is going through an intersection. Last year while walking around the College of Charleston with my daughter, an ambulance came flying down the street near the library. It actually scared the hell out of me it was going so fast! So I know you guys are driving ridiculously fast around the College. That is a great concern to students and parents alike. Without the College of Charleston, the city of Charleston wouldn’t be nearly as viable. The College of Charleston brings in a lot of revenue to the city and if the kids are walking around campus with a little less regard to the traffic as they cross the street, well then, from their perspective, the street is a part of their campus. You should be using the utmost caution when driving on and near their campus. Surely EMS have taken an oath similar to the Hippocratic Oath to not deliberately harm someone and to keep the good of the people as their highest priority. They are not race car drivers. The city streets are not the track at the Indianapolis 500. With that said, I don’t think it is too much to demand that the number one priority that EMS should have is “Public Safety.” I’m sorry if you feel that you “desperately” need “respect.” You should do your job as quickly as possible, but your training should have prepared you to deal with emergency situations while traveling safely to your destination without harming others. Respect the Public and they will respect you.

Posted by mac0cm4 on March 26, 2008 at 9:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think some of you should sign up for a ride-along with the emergency service of your choice. Then speak about what you think you know about.

Posted by MichaelsAdvocate on March 26, 2008 at 9:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I've been riding along with the Redneck Mafia Reign of Terror for over 14 years. It's time to end it.

Posted by shiva1dane on March 26, 2008 at 10:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I am a bit dichotomous in that I worked in the medical field, so in that respect I relate to the urgency of reaching patients in need, but I also have observed experiences where ambulances have admitted faultiness in accidents. A friend was witness to the tragic accident yesterday, and relayed that the ambulance did not alert the surrounding traffic of their emergency until the last second. Whether or not this is proven to be true or false will remain to be seen; witnessing such a horrific event obviously offers the opportunity for a slightly distorted recollection. Obviously this will all be examined by local authorities.

The hospital will bear the legal damage; however, the emotional trauma will be incurred by the family members of Emily, as well as the ambulance driver. The family I am quite sure would never exchange any amount of money in replacement of Emily’s life, yet the issue of seeking punitive damages seems to be a more popular topic here than the fact that a bright young lady lost her life.

I offer no “side taking” on my part, but I would like to point out that Emily’s family has current/future access to all of the above comments. At the very least, the event provides a devastating moment for her family. We are all quick to defend our “sides,” but we should all keep in mind that if this had happened to our daughter/sister/best friend/etc, we would be equally as distraught. At the very least, until a conclusive investigation, we should all refrain from desecrating Emily or the EMTs. I am quite sure the involved parties are going through enough and would not benefit from the ongoing debates from unrelated third parties.

Posted by JohnS on March 26, 2008 at 11:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The ride along program is for chumps with nothing to do with their lives. I don't have to know what it's like to be an emergency services worker. My tax dollars pay to have someone come to my house if I have an emergency. I expect them to be fully trained and do their job. The EMT seemed to be at fault. If this is found to be the truth the driver needs to have his commerical drivers lic revoked.

Posted by jifdeng3 on March 26, 2008 at 11:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ok, So, Which one of you were out there with your radar guns? How many people are trained crash investigators? How many are involved in the investigation of this collision? I love the assumptions that are made in this forum, and the lack of knowledge displayed by all the "experts" that have been assigning blame. I suggest shutting your mouth. We do a dangerous job, for low pay, to help you and responding is one of the most dangerous parts of it, but it seems to me that no matter what its a lose lose situation for us. I have a proposal. Lets take lights and sirens off all of our vehicles. Now, while you sit bleeding in your mangled car and your golden hour is ticking away, we'll just get there when we can. Or as you grandfather lies on the floor in cardiac arrest with only a few minutes window for a chance to save his life, we'll get there when we get there. Or when your house is on fire, and all your years of memories, and pictures, and such are burning away, we'll get there when we get there. Or your buisness is being robbed, well get there when we get there. Catch my drift.

This is a very tragic event without a doubt. But let the professionals investigate and make the determination of cause and fault before you go out and pass judgement. General citizens are not any better, and a perfect example just happened to me not an hour and a half ago. We were dispatchd to a full arrest, and a we came behind a driver in the left lane. I had my q-siren wound up, my electric siren on, and air horns blaring away and it took this driver nearly a half a mile to finally pull into the empty right lane.

Posted by jennjenn629 on March 27, 2008 at 12:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Gaylsie there is no such policy that states sirens are only to be used when going through an intersection. And, even if this person thought they heard that coming out of the instructor's mouth, that statement should have been reported and the person should have had enough common sense not to believe that statement. Actually pmedic39 also gave false info on trucks in Charleston County and also gave out false info on the force policy. The only time siren usage is to be limited downtown is when there is a carriage horse nearby. There were incidents where carriage horses were spooked by sirens and it resulted in injuries of the passengers. But this would not have been an issue at this accident. And there have been studies done with sirens and how far away a person will begin to hear them. Unfortunately with the noise of traffic congestion, construction, surrounding car radios, and god only knows what other sounds there were at the time, it may have been very difficult for Emily to have heard the siren even with it turned on the whole time. It, however, is highly unlikely that the siren would have been completely cut off especially w/ the truck driving in an opposing lane. This is when extreme caution must be used and everyone that has had any classes in driving emergency vehicles knows that. We do not think the streets are the Indy 500. We are not going to earn extra money if we reach the scene faster. We are not driven by the almighty dollar. Just look at one of our paychecks if you don't believe me. Personally, I chose a career w/ EMS because I watched my father die slow and painfully and I'm still watching my poor mother do the same, and I decided I would like nothing more than to try to prevent someone from feeling the sorrow that I have felt. But there is nothing more painful than to read these comments coming from the public I serve. We very often sacrifice sleep, food, restroom breaks, and even time with our families to provide health care to the people of the lowcountry. We do it without reward and would never even think to ask for a thank you. The one thing I can not stomach is for someone to bad mouth my fellow EMS workers when they do not know the facts and are simply speculating about something they saw in a newspaper article or in the comments following it. EMS workers are not infallible. No one is. If there was a mistake made it was due to feeling the urgency of saving a life and not the desire to speed down a city street. I am sorry you have such a poor impression of EMS, and I doubt any comment left here will change that. And, until EMS workers are infallible and everyone obeys traffic laws, tragic accidents like these will unfortunately continue to occur. Again, my heart goes out to Emily's family and the EMS crew involved.

Posted by MACOA on March 27, 2008 at 12:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Isn't it funny how people say "my tax dollars pay for you to respond" and "my tax dollars pay your salary". Ever stop to think that the public servants you speak of(Police, Fire, and EMS) live in the same area and therefore pay the same taxes you do? this would mean that they contribute, tax wise, to their pay checks as well, not to mention the fact that they are the ones working 8, 10, 12 hour shifts to earn their wages. just a thought.

Posted by emsmedic999 on March 27, 2008 at 2:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh the arguing, pointing of fingers, accusations, assumptions..... how quickly we point out and yet forget the lives that are forever changed; parents, siblings, children, friends, and co-workers. In a situation such as this, NO ONE "WINS" no matter who is, or is not at fault.
I am very saddened by almost every single comment on this page. Just think to yourself for a moment... your phone rings and it's about your child. Just imagine if you were doing your job and the unthinkable just happened.

Posted by wpc3iop on March 27, 2008 at 11:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

pissedoffmedic: You need to remember who pays your salary...
the taxpayers! Your job is to serve and help people...not be reckless and endanger others. I doubt that a few seconds wasted on the way to a call by being more cautious is worth more than Miss salisbury's life...

Posted by heartwesterly on March 28, 2008 at 2:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Emily was one of the first people I met when I transfered to C of C. She was a wonderful, kind, and extremely intelligent woman. I am also a wife of a Charleston first responder. I understand where everyone is coming from.

But I strongly urge everyone to think and have some compassion. This forum should not be used to place blame, but to celebrate the life of a beautiful woman.

Rest in peace Emily, you will be missed.

Posted by ATP on March 28, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If anyone cares to discuss the facts, rather than hurling accusations or engaging in blind apologetics, I'll be happy to shed some light in the darkness here.

I am a professional paramedic familiar with local policy and state law, but speaking now as a private citizen. I am not representing any agency, nor will I speak to the specific details of this tragic case, as the official report has yet to be released.

The single most important point that has been addressed is Due Regard. It is our responsibility as professionals to operate with due regard. There is no deviating from that obligation, for any reason, period. It is true that ambulances are permitted to travel up to 10mph over the speed limit, but only when it does not compromise due regard. This may be a subjective measurement, but the speed limit maximum is an objective standard. Operating a vehicle beyond that maximum is a violation of law, and can therefore be deemed as operation without due regard. This behavior is not condoned or tolerated in any EMS system that I am familiar with, and is certainly not policy, as someone has suggested. We are not legally or civilly protected when we violate the law; not when administering medications, and certainly not operating our vehicles.

As to the details of this case, the speed of the ambulance has yet to be officially determined.

I appreciate the leeway afforded emergency responders here, but let's not propagate the misconception that we are somehow justified in operating our vehicles in a manner that causes unnecessary and unlawful risk to the public. We are not. It's illegal, it's dangerous, and most importantly, it is inexcusable.

As for the general public and what can be done to minimize the risk of accidents, the best advice I can offer is to learn the law and yield to emergency vehicles by pulling to the right and stopping as soon as is safely possible. Sometimes it is impossible to do so, and in these instances, calmly look for the best option that leads you out of the way of approaching vehicles (which should always attempt to pass on the left) and slow to a stop.

We will, as dedicated professionals, continue to do our best to preserve the safety of the citizens we serve while responding promptly and efficiently to those in need of our help. Please help us in this effort, and reserve judgment of those involved in this tragedy until the facts come to light.

And most importantly, keep the family and friends of the victim in your thoughts and prayers. A promising young life was lost, and the pain that will follow will last well beyond the controversy.

Posted by usna04 on March 28, 2008 at 6:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I was sitting at a light today in my car with my windows down and the music turned down low. All of a sudden, an EMS flew by me going about 50 miles an hour. I didn't even hear him until he was right by my side. His lights were on and so were his sirens. I thought about Emily who was just turning left onto a street to get to school on time. I guarantee she didn't hear that EMS. She had the right away, and the EMS driver should not have assumed everyone had heard him. He should be going to where he's going in a quick manner, but in a 25 mph school zone, he should have not been going so fast. Period. Emily was going to graduate with me in May. I think the City of Charleston should be sued and held accountable for this, no question. For the rest of you who think Emily was poorly educated because she turned in front of an ambulance, I urge you to shut up. I personally know how bright she was unlike the rest of you. I didn't hear or see the ambulance today until it flew past me, and if any of you "educated" people have ever taken a physics class, you would understand that sound doesn't always reach the ear when a vehicle is coming that fast from behind you. Emily didn't have to look behind her to have the right away. She very smartly made sure no cars were coming from the other direction, and turned because she did have the right away. Then, an EMS driver who was going too fast for a Charleston street struck her and killed her. If it wasn't her, it would have been someone else- maybe one of you "educated" people. Really, some of you blow my mind to read your comments. Your lack of respect for her death makes me sick, and I honestly hope you're put in your place one day with a similar situation and see where your view stands then. I understand how important ambulances are - I think we all do, but it should not be putting others at risk, and it certainly should have not been going so fast to total 3 cars in a 25 mph zone. It shouldn't have killed my friend, and I guarantee you - that driver will think twice before pulling what he did again, going that fast in an opposite lane. I also guarantee you he'll be the first to admit it. I feel awful for him, but not as bad as I do for Emily.

Posted by Lauracofc on March 28, 2008 at 10:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I go to the C of C and often park in that area. Once you consider all the factors, it seems like Emily did not know they were coming and was just making her left-hand turn. And it's understandable what the ambulance driver was thinking, but they were going too fast to be on crowded, congested Calhoun Street at that time of morning. Calhoun Street is not "near" campus. It goes THROUGH campus. Prayers for all, especially Emily, who lost her precious life one ordinary morning, in a nanosecond.
New point: where are the memorials, flowers, or condolences for Emily at the C of C? There are some posters in the Stern Center for students to send condolences to the University of North Carolina where a student of theirs was tragically murdered. How about something to show Emily's parents that the college they sent their daughter to CARES? (It could just be too soon and it takes time to get things together, lets hope.)

Posted by Dpecora on March 29, 2008 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

How brave we all are when we can write anything we want, under an anonymous tag.

Gaylsie seems to have an ax to grind with EMS. She tugs at our hearts by asking what we would feel if it were our child that died. She doesn’t mention the child at the other end and the eternally long wait for the unit to arrive. She comes to the conclusion that “EMS IS AT FAULT”. I wonder if she has spoken to the officers over what she had seen?

Oh, yeah, she wasn’t even there.

I continued to read from someone called “heyuguys” who mentions that the State isn’t investigating and thinks that is the department the ambulance belongs too.

We even got an obviously disgruntled (and probably fired) employee from the agency talking about things they know nothing about. Obviously, they won’t give their name because of “retribution”….whatever that is.

Then, there’s cold beer” – and when I got to the “Redneck Mafia” stuff, I stopped reading..

With the exception of Mr. Coleman, and some others who were obviously heart felt. The remaining venom comes from people who appear to think they are somehow “faulted” in life and want to lash out to anyone they can. “Fire them” comes the call. “Sue them” say another. That will “teach” them.

In the end, all that does is line the pockets of attorneys. It won’t bring her back and it won’t help the crew.

I have watched all three EMS agencies (Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester) and have found them to be very professional. I have never seen them operate their vehicles in a wreckless manner, however, if I did, I would contact the appropriate agency and file a complaint (of course, Gaylsie, you would have to use your real name, wouldn’t you?).

I know many of the people who work for these agencies and find them to be selfless givers who only want to help their fellow man.

Let’s face it. Sometimes, we all make mistakes. Things happen. Life is unfair.

If you can scan through all 60 or so comments, you find a majority who’s heart goes out to the family of this poor girl and to the crew.

In the middle of all that, you’ll find the snakes to strike at anything they think is unfair because they think their life is unfair. How sad.

Lets all pray for the family and the crews. All of them must be hurting.

In the meantime, let’s consider putting our names to what we say. No one should hide behind a wall.