Ambulance driver might receive fines, jail time if convicted
By TILLIE FONG
Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Colorado)
Copyright 2006 Denver Publishing Company
STERLING, Colo. — A paramedic with Metro/Rural Ambulance has been charged with careless driving in connection with an accident in May that killed two people and injured two others.
Chris Larusso, 22, of Westminster, was issued a summons for two counts of careless driving resulting in death and two counts of careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury.
All are misdemeanor charges and carry possible sentences of 10 days to a year in jail and fines of $100 to $1,000.
Larusso was driving an ambulance May 9 on Interstate 76, about 15 miles west of Sterling, when he apparently rear-ended a semi-tractor truck.
Two passengers in the ambulance - nurse Karen Woods, 43, of Elizabeth, and ultrasound technician Vicky Thomas, 35, of Goodland, Kan. - were killed.
A patient, Kelsey Schlichenmayer, 43, of Burlington, was seriously injured, but hours after the accident, gave birth to a boy at Sterling Regional Medical Center.
Larusso and paramedic Dan Beza, 31, of Centennial, were treated for their injuries and released.
The driver of the truck, Plamen Zalyamov, of Chicago, was not hurt.
The ambulance had picked up Schlichenmayer from the Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, Neb., and was taking her to Denver for prenatal care because of complications with her pregnancy.
Both Woods and Thomas worked at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center.
“Obviously, the accident was horribly tragic,” David Patterson, division general manager for Rural/Metro Ambulance, said Thursday.
“Our hearts go out to the families of our employees and the families of Kelsey and Vicky.”
Larusso has been on paid administrative leave since the accident.
“We’ll certainly monitor the charges closely and see what the outcome is,” Patterson said. “He (Larusso) won’t return from administrative leave until that issue is resolved.”
Larusso could not be reached for comment Thursday, and Beza’s number was disconnected.
The Woods family declined to comment, and calls to the Thomas and Schlichenmayer families were not returned.