Woman dies, three injured when SA Ambulance Service bariatric ambulance rolls over on Port Wakefield Rd, near Virginia
A PARAMEDIC is facing criminal prosecution over a fatal accident where a bariatric ambulance rolled over on Port Wakefield Rd, killing Port Pirie woman Karen Biddell and injuring her daughter.
A PARAMEDIC has been reported for allegedly causing death by dangerous driving over a fatal accident where a bariatric ambulance rolled over on Port Wakefield Rd, killing a woman and injuring her daughter.
The $240,000 ambulance — designed and equipped to carry obese patients — was travelling south towards Adelaide on a straight stretch of road when the accident happened at 2.48am on Tuesday.
Port Pirie woman Karen Biddell, 48, died at the scene.
Her daughter, 16, and two male ambulance officers — one of whom was driving the vehicle — were taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a stable condition. Each suffered minor injuries.
At the time, the paramedics conveying the woman were almost nine hours into a 12.5-hour night shift.
SA Police on Tuesday afternoon said the 38-year-old driver of the vehicle had been reported for causing death by dangerous driving and will be summonsed to appear in court at a later date.
Inspector Ben Spencer, from SA Police’s Traffic Support Branch, had earlier told a media conference it was too early to determine the cause of the single-vehicle crash, or say whether any charges would be laid against the driver.
The ambulance involved in the accident, known as a BRV, is one of two used by SA Ambulance Service to transport morbidly obese people who are too big to use normal-sized ambulances.
With a total carrying capacity of 500kg, the BRV — a five-tonne Mercedes 518 Sprinter — has more than double the lifting capacity of the standard ambulance’s 228kg.
Its unique features include a self-loading mega-lift stretcher, which can carry up to 500kg, specialist wheelchairs that can handle 220kg and inflatable “hover mats” with a carrying capacity of one tonne.
The supersized BRVs required a specialist team to operate them, with paramedics having to obtain truck licences to drive them and undertake additional training in “heavy lifting”.
Insp Spencer said it was believed the vehicle involved in the Port Wakefield accident had rolled over after leaving the highway.
“It’s my understanding that the ambulance went off on to the right-hand shoulder ... to the centre median strip on Port Wakefield Rd and then it’s changed direction and gone off to the left,” he said.
“Then it’s rolled over on the left-hand side, the eastern side of Port Wakefield Rd.”
Insp Spencer said police were yet to determine whether the woman died as a result of the crash, or her medical condition.
“We need to consider all of those factors. The patient may have died as a result of the reason they were being cared for, or they’ve died as a result of the impact of the collision.”
The woman was being conveyed from Port Pirie to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Insp Spencer said all aspects of the crash were being investigated — including driver fatigue — while the scene would be inspected and the ambulance mechanically examined.
Police had spoken to the driver, who has since been released from hospital. The other ambulance officer remains in hospital in a stable condition.
“We are still piecing together the full extent of the collision and what caused it,” he said.
The woman was being transferred “for a different type of care” and was not travelling under emergency lights and sirens.
“It’s not my understanding that there was any time critical risk or emergency transport,” he said.
Her daughter was travelling in the front passenger seat when the crash occurred.
“Police have spoken with her ... as you’d understand it’s incredibly traumatic, number one to come down with your mother to Adelaide to hospital but then to have something like this happen is incredibly traumatic for her,” he said.
“Our police officers are with her making sure she’s OK.”
Insp Spencer appealed for any witnesses who may have seen the ambulance travelling towards Adelaide on Port Wakefield Rd between midnight and 3am.
SA Ambulance Service chief executive Jason Killens said the organisation was also holding an internal review into the incident, which would consider clinical decisions that led up to the crash, including the use of the bariatric vehicle.
“We are looking at all of the aspects — decisions taken immediately prior to the incident, why the patient was being conveyed when they were,” he said.
“Compliance to policy, shifts, working hours and so on are all a matter for the investigation.”
The use of bariatric vehicles was also under review, with the state’s second bariatric ambulance taken off the road to be inspected.
“The remaining bariatric vehicle is not in use until we’ve completed that assessment. We can manage those patients in an alternative way.”
Mr Killens said the crew involved in the Port Wakefield Rd crash were more than eight hours into a night shift when the crash occurred.
The paramedics started the shift half an hour earlier than normal — at 6pm on Monday — and were due to knock off at 6.30am on Tuesday.
He said the crews had sufficient breaks for the amount of time worked.
“The initial review suggests there were no issues with working time,” he said.
He said it was not uncommon to transfer patients at night “dependent on the clinical condition of a patient”.
Mr Killens said it had been “a particularly challenging day” for SAAS staff, and support was being offered to the staff and the family of the patient who died.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of that patient and of course the staff, the ambulance officers involved in this really difficult incident,” he said.
Major Crash investigators spent the morning at the scene while southbound traffic on Port Wakefield Road from Angle Vale Road was closed.
Any one who saw the crash, or the ambulance on Port Wakefield Rd before the crash, should contact police on 1800 333 000.