WASHINGTON (NBC Washington) – D.C. Fire and EMS says the break down of an ambulance transporting a gunshot victim last month was caused by a mechanical failure.
FRM/FFN: D.C. Ambulance Shuts Down On Way to Hospital
Tests on the vehicle revealed that a faulty fuel cooler screen malfunctioned, causing the ambulance to automatically shut down along Interstate 295 on May 30. A second ambulance was called, and the victim — Nathaniel McRae, 34, — was transferred to a working vehicle within five to seven minutes, Fire and EMS officials said.
McRae, a suspect in a carjacking, was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The delay did not contribute to McRae’s death, according to D.C. Fire and EMS Deputy Chief John Donnelly.
The city is now having the filters removed from all of their ambulances. The work will be done in phases and will not affect service.
DCFEMS says the filter is not a part of the EPA required regeneration system, so permission from the EPA is not needed to remove the filters.
D.C. Fire and EMS has come under fire in recent months over ambulance and staffiing issues.
