By Brian C. Rittmeyer
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Copyright 2007 Tribune Review Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved
Two Monroeville paramedics had to scramble when the roof over an ambulance bay came crashing down shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday at Mercy Hospital, Uptown.
The collapse was blamed on a burst or leaking water pipe over the hospital’s primary access for ambulances along Marion Street, hospital spokeswoman Linda Ross said. A 20- by 50-foot roof section came down on the ambulance, causing one paramedic to dive inside while the other ran.
Ross said the three-member team had just delivered a patient, who was safely inside the hospital.
Monroeville EMT Justin Piatt told WTAE-TV he and a partner saw water leaking from the ceiling, and the crew went inside to tell maintenance. Piatta said he saw the roof collapse when they headed back to the ambulance.
“All I can see is my life is gone — literally, my life’s done.” he said. “Angels were actually looking over both of us. I’m glad both of us got out of there alive and no one got hurt.”
Although shaken up, neither of the paramedics was hurt, and no other injuries were reported. Ten to 15 patients were in the emergency room at the time.
The emergency room remained open and continued accepting walk-in patients, but ambulances were diverted to other hospitals for about an hour while the debris was cleaned up and the damaged ambulance was towed away, Ross said.