VALLEY VILLAGE, Calif. — The families of two Los Angeles women who were electrocuted and killed after trying to save a driver who crashed his SUV have received ambulance bills from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
City Councilman Paul Kerkorian is publicizing a fundraising effort, saying Good Samaritans who are injured or killed should not have to face financial burden, according to the Daily News.
“No one who puts themselves in harm’s way should have to struggle to pay the bills... " he said.
Stacey Lee Schreiber, 39, and Irma Zamora, 40, were killed Aug. 22 when they stepped into an electrified pool of water created after a car knocked over a power pole and fire hydrant.
The city had considered waiving the fees for the women, but city fire officials said municipal code did not allow for automatic exemption for Good Samaritans.
In August 2010, the “Advanced Life Support Services Fee” was raised to $1,373 per patient, while the “Basic Life Support Fee” went up to $974.