Man ‘drove at paramedic’ in shocking incident
Police claim a paramedic has narrowly escaped injury after a shocking attack in which a car deliberately sped towards her just days after two alleged vicious spitting attacks on our health heroes.
NSW
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Police claim a paramedic has narrowly escaped injury after a shocking attack in which a car deliberately sped towards her just days after two alleged vicious spitting attacks on our health heroes.
The incidents come as medical staff come under mounting pressure amid the COVID-19 pandemic – some already grappling with the mental and physical toll of the outbreak.
Late on Thursday police allege a female paramedic was returning to her ambulance vehicle after responding to an unrelated incident on Devonshire St when she heard the sounds of a car horn.
Police claim the driver of the car - stopped behind the ambulance - began to swear and shout abuse at the 22-year-old paramedic before allegedly revving the car’s engine and deliberately driving towards her.
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The paramedic ran inside a nearby unit complex and called police. Officers attended and arrested the driver, aged 49.
He was taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with stalk/intimidate intend fearphysical harm.
The Surry Hills man was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday 25 June 2020.
The incident comes after two people were charged after allegedly spitting on paramedics and a hospital doctor in two separate attacks on medical workers in NSW.
The first attack occurred around 2pm on Monday in the state’s Manning-Great Lakes, where two NSW Ambulance paramedics attended a home to treat a man with a rib injury.
The 53-year-old was found heavily intoxicated and writhing in pain. He was wheeled into an ambulance to be taken to a nearby hospital.
As paramedics monitored the man in the ambulance, he allegedly lashed out, spitting on the two male paramedics twice.
The man was wheeled out of the ambulance by waiting security staff at Manning Base Hospital where he was treated and later released. The incident was reported to police and an investigation commenced.
The following day, police attended the man’s Forster property, where he was charged with two counts of assault.
He was refused bail and will appear via video link at Port Macquarie Local Court today.
Just hours later, a second spitting attack unfolded at a hospital in Sydney’s north.
The 35-year-old woman was being treated at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital for a large cut on her arm when she allegedly spat in the face of the treating doctor.
The doctor called for help and continued to treat the woman’s arm before she was released.
The incident was reported to officers at Kuring Gai Police Area Command and inquiries commenced.
Late on Tuesday officers attended a home in Hornsby where they arrested the woman. She was taken to Hornsby Police Station where she was charged with common assault.
She was given strict conditional bail and will appear in Hornsby Local Court on Wednesday 1 July 2020.
Originally published as Man ‘drove at paramedic’ in shocking incident