By Bill Carey
EMS1
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Two paramedics who responded to the fiery fatal crash outside the Kodak Center on New Year’s Day are recovering from injuries they received while rescuing and treating patients.
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AMR Critical Care Paramedics Julie Purick and Davin Eshelman were among the first to arrive on the scene. The pair began triaging patients and tried to rescue a seriously injured person near the burning vehicle, WROC reported.
The union representing the paramedics, Roc City EMS, told WROC that the two “had been exposed to respiratory injuries secondary to the inhalation of hot smoke and gas,” prompting both to be hospitalized.
According to the union, Purick had been placed on a ventilator and showed signs of improvement.
Michael Avery, of Syracuse, is believed to have driven a rented SUV, that was loaded with several gasoline containers, into a crowd of pedestrians at a crosswalk at the venue.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.