A woman experiencing chest pain was left without medical transport after an Ohio ambulance driver allegedly abandoned her during a hospital trip.
The driver allegedly said he was done driving for the day and booked an Uber for himself, leaving the internet struggling to understand how he could leave the patient stranded.
“What happened to the patient then? And if he was lost, how did he know where to tell the Uber driver to go?” one asked. “Did he just abandon the ambulance then? So many questions lol.”
A patient was allegedly left stranded after her ambulance driver simply called it a day
The incident took place in the evening on Wednesday, October 28, while the patient was being transported to the Cleveland Clinic.
According to the Cleveland Association of Rescue Employees (CARE) Local 1975, the driver was working for a private ambulance company named Lynx EMS.
He reportedly got lost before telling the woman he was done driving for the day.
They then transported the unidentified woman to the hospital. Her condition remains unknown.
When online posts began misidentifying the ambulance service, CARE Local 1975 released a statement to clarify that the “personnel who abandoned their patient” was not a Cleveland EMS ambulance, “but rather a provider working on a private ambulance.”
Cleveland EMS stepped in after the private ambulance driver allegedly booked himself an Uber
“Once that provider left, Cleveland EMS responded to the scene, administered care, and transported the patient to the hospital,” a CARE Local 1975 statement said.
“We stand by our EMTs, Paramedics, and Dispatchers who strive to provide the best care to anyone who is in need of it,” they continued.
The statement also urged people to verify information before sharing content that could be misleading.
“We encourage everyone to dig a little deeper and research the facts before blindly sharing AI-generated images and articles, such as the one accompanying this caption,” they added.
The private ambulance company broke its silence, saying they were reviewing the circumstances
A spokesperson for Lynx EMS acknowledged the incident involving one of their ambulance drivers.
“Patient safety and quality care are of the utmost importance to us and responsibilities we take very seriously,” they said.
Once they were aware of the situation, they took “immediate steps” to address the situation and ensure the woman's medical needs were met, the statement said.
“We are continuing to review the circumstances surrounding this incident and will take appropriate action based on the findings of that review,” the message continued.
The company said they were unable to provide further details on the incident because their personnel and a patient were involved.
“We remain committed to providing high-quality care and maintaining the trust of our patients, their families, healthcare partners, and the communities we serve,” the statement concluded.
“If he was lost, how did he know where to tell the Uber to pick him up?” one asked online
The unusual circumstances triggered plenty of questions online, with netizens wondering how the driver could allegedly leave the patient behind.
“So my biggest questions are was there an EMT in the back with the patient and if so what happened to the EMT that stayed with the patient? If not and this was just a driver, how?” read one comment. “An ambulance with just a driver should not be taking a chest pain patient to the ER.”
“When the ‘fatigue’ hits,” one said, while another wrote, “Bro really said d*mn end of my shift already huh? Lmao.”
“He had a smartphone, so being lost isn't an excuse,” one said.
“Lesson of this story is to call Uber instead of an ambulance,” another quipped.
Another netizen took a swipe at younger workers, commenting, “Gen Z workforce in a nutshell.”
One poked fun at the state of American healthcare, saying: “On my next episode of healthcare in America.”
“Sorry ma’am, technically I’m off the clock,” one commented online
