By Michelle McPhee
The Boston Herald
State police and city EMS officials undertook “dry runs” along Big Dig routes to map out ways to move emergency vehicles from East Boston to city hospitals yesterday after a former politician died of a heart attack when his ambulance was snared in tunnel traffic that resulted in a 24-minute ride to the hospital.
The victim, Bruce Olsen, 65, was returning from Florida when he collapsed in Terminal A at Logan International Airport about 4 p.m. Wednesday. He was pronounced dead upon his arrival 50 minutes later at Boston Medical Center, a time frame during which rescue workers attempted to resuscitate him before rushing him through traffic gridlock in what should have been a four-minute trip.
Olsen, a former Norfolk County Commissioner from Stoughton, made headlines after he was arrested in Key West July 18 for allegedly attempting to purchase $40 worth of marijuana from undercover cops.
The circumstances of his death prompted Mayor Thomas M. Menino to demand an investigation into why the ambulance was snagged in Big Dig traffic.
“It’s very disturbing to me,” Menino said. “We have to look at this incident very closely.”
Yesterday, a transportation committee — formed by Menino in the aftermath of the Big Dig tunnel collapse that killed Milena Del Valle two weeks ago — met to discuss ambulance routes, said Tom Tinlin of the Boston Transportation Department.
“When you have an event like this, even though you know you did everything right, there is a real personal sense of frustration,” Tinlin said. “Everyone understands how gravely ill this man was, but there is a real desire to make sure we do everything we can to make sure traffic flows in a safe manner and to make sure emergency vehicles have the access they need.
“Nobody wants anything like this to happen again.”
EMS Superintendent James Hooley said that maps of the routes that he, along with state police, ran through yesterday will be handed to all city ambulance drivers. The city has added ambulances to patrol East Boston since the collapse, with five additional units during the day and another two at night.
Officials insisted that part of the delay getting Olsen to the hospital was because paramedics pulled over twice to attempt to save his life in the back of the ambulance as he was already in cardiac arrest. Still, a plan was put in place yesterday for EMS to immediately alert state police to obtain escorts during traffic jams, Hooley said.