But You Gotta Have Friends

Two local paramedics are being investigated by Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services after an attempt to help a former co-worker get away with drunk driving. A call was made to 911 early Tuesday morning saying that a man had passed out in a car near an Oak Hill intersection. The two paramedics were first to the scene, recognized their friend, and called the cops to say no police action was necessary.

The cops came nevertheless, only to find that the car had been moved from the intersection. The police affidavit says that the suspect/patient "had either passed out or fallen asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle with the engine running and his foot on the brake" after a night out on 6th Street. A witness found the man passed out and tried to revive him, only for the former paramedic to drive a little further and stop again in the middle of the road. When the two paramedics arrived, they helped move his car to a Walgreens parking lot, and one of the paramedics even tried to keep the police from visiting with the patient/suspect.

It looks as if the paramedics won't be charged by the police; their friend was ultimately arrested despite their efforts. EMS is looking into what protocol was violated, and if by aiding their past co-worker in this situation the paramedics were truly doing him any good (medically).

Austin-Travis County EMS has recently been in the news for paramedics reportedly using their work computers to look at internet porn. So far, it doesn't seem to be a great Spring for the department.

[Statesman]

Photo by Sr. Mike on flickr