Burlington Free Press
Copyright 2007 Burlingtonfreepress.com
COLCHESTER, Vt. — A patient from New York died early Wednesday morning from injuries she suffered when the ambulance in which she was riding flipped near Exit 17 on Interstate 89 in Colchester, Vermont State Police said.
State police say they are investigating the accident that happened about 3:15 a.m. A Seaway Valley Ambulance transporting Mary Catanzarite, 80, of Massena was traveling south on I-89 toward Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, when it slid off the slush- and snow-covered highway and overturned.
Police said Catanzarite and EMT Michael Guthrie, 39, of Massena were injured and taken to Fletcher Allen, where Catanzarite died of undisclosed injuries. Guthrie remained in serious condition Wednesday evening, hospital officials said.
The ambulance driver, Jimmie Scott, 41, of Massena was not injured, police said. He was wearing a seat belt; Catanzarite and Guthrie were not, Vermont State Police Trooper Philip Wagner said.
Police say speed and road conditions were factors in the crash. Philip Brown, manager of Seaway Valley Ambulance, the owner of the vehicle, said the driver told him he wasn’t speeding.
“We know that going down the road, he says he hit a patch of slush and lost control of the vehicle at that point,” Brown said.
“It’s a terrible tragedy. Our thoughts are with the families and everybody involved,” Fletcher Allen spokesman Mike Noble said.
Catanzarite had had surgery at Fletcher Allen last month and was released Nov. 21, but she suffered complications Tuesday and was sent back to the Burlington hospital. The ambulance left after midnight Tuesday.
“Yes, I’m angry, but what are you going to do?” said her sister, Beatrice Hurley, 73, of Massena. “They could’ve waited until today. It was a nice day.”
An avid golfer, Catanzarite was single and lived with her 105-year- old mother, Hurley said. Catanzarite’s mother took the news hard, Hurley said.
“We brought the priest over, and my brother and my sister, and told her. She just cried and cried,” Hurley said.