Brother of ATV accident victim questions 911 response in Pa.

WTAE

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The brother of a man who was pinned beneath an ATV last week told Team 4’s Paul Van Osdol that he thinks emergency services did not do their best responding to his calls for help.

The accident happened in Washington Township, Butler County, when farmer Randy Smith was trying to herd a stray cow back to its pasture.

“He was actually trying to get around this tree to cut the cow off when the ATV rolled over. He was actually trying to watch the cow,” the victim’s brother, Ed Smith, told Team 4’s Paul Van Osdol.

Even though Randy Smith was smothered by the ATV, he managed to pull out his cell phone and call 911.

“I’m not sure how many went through. Randy says he remembers hitting send at least 15 times,” said Ed Smith.

When Randy Smith did get through, he had to hold the phone away to maintain the connection. As a result, the operator kept hanging up.

Ed Smith said his brother kept calling, hoping that 911 could pinpoint his location using his cell phone.

Instead, they kept calling Randy Smith back.

“They said two times not to call with the prank calls, and the third time they said not to yell, and the fourth time they said they were calling the state police,” said Ed Smith. “I guess that’s where it’s disappointing when you stop and think about the accident.”

Randy Smith also called his mother, who sent his brother to go looking for him. Ed Smith found his brother, Randy, more than two hours after the accident occurred.

While the community of North Washington waits for Randy Smith, a township supervisor, to return his family is also waiting to have its questions answered.

“I was always under assumption if you called 911, there was help coming as soon as they answered that phone and they called back and you didn’t answer,” said Ed Smith.

Calls by Team 4 to Butler County Emergency Services’ director were not returned.

Republished with permission from WTAE