By Laura French
SOPER, Okla. — An Oklahoma woman whose husband died after the ambulance meant to transport him to the hospital was stolen says she believes he would have survived if the rig hadn’t been taken.
Becky Hendrick said medics responded to her home when her husband Delbert began experiencing chest pain, but when the crew went to place him in the ambulance, the rig was gone, according to KXII. Hendrick then attempted to drive her husband to the emergency room herself, but he became unresponsive just two miles away from the hospital and could not be revived.
The couple had been married for nearly 13 years and have seven children and eight grandchildren, Becky Hendrick said. Delbert Hendrick was a drug and alcohol mental health counselor and had held a suicide prevention seminar the day before he died.
Becky Hendrick told KXII her husband’s last words before he became unresponsive were, “I’m in so much pain, I don’t think I’m gonna make it.”
She said she believes her husband may not have died if the ambulance had been there to transport him. She said he could have been saved either by the resources inside the ambulance or by getting to the hospital faster.
The person who stole the ambulance is still at large; police have published images of the suspect from inside the rig and are asking for the public’s help in identifying him.
The Hendrick family said Delbert Hendrick was the main provider for his household and is asking for donations to help with funeral expenses. Donations can be sent to Becky Hendrick at PO Box 274, Soper, OK 74759.
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