PASADENA, Calif. — A man critically injured after allegedly being struck and dragged by an SUV driven by his intoxicated son became the first patient to receive a lifesaving prehospital blood transfusion from Pasadena firefighter/paramedics.
Pasadena police said 24-year-old Jack Modrzejewski had been drinking and was attempting to leave in a 2022 Ford Bronco when his father stepped in front of the SUV to stop him from driving, KTLA reported.
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Modrzejewski allegedly accelerated into his father, knocking him onto the hood before dragging him and causing him to fall onto the roadway. The victim suffered severe injuries to his leg and pelvis and was transported by ambulance to a hospital.
Pasadena Fire Department paramedics determined the man needed an emergency blood transfusion before he could be transported to a hospital. It was the first field transfusion by Pasadena firefighter/paramedics since the department launched its prehospital whole blood program in August.
The department participates in LA DROP, a pilot program launched in 2025 with support from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, CBS Los Angeles reported. The department has two battalion vehicles equipped to carry whole blood and can meet ambulances arriving at Huntington Hospital, allowing paramedics to begin transfusions before patients enter the hospital.
Blood that is not used within 10 days, half of its shelf life, is returned to Huntington Hospital and replaced.
The department invested about $100,000 to launch the program and provide intensive training for its EMTs and paramedics.
Fire Chief Chad Augustin said data show that prehospital blood transfusions, a practice pioneered by the military, can prevent deaths. He hopes the treatment eventually becomes a routine part of emergency medical care.
