Corpsman's car towed while helping ambulance

[Auld Fella]

Wanted to share this story of a brave corpsman who did the right thing and, in return, had his truck towed. Incredible.

Navy medic who pulls over to help Mich. ambulance crew gets $60 towing bill

Associated Press
April 12, 2008
JACKSON, Mich. - A Navy medic who stopped to calm a woman whose husband was having a heart attack — and helped an ambulance crew perform CPR on the man en route to a hospital — ended up with a $60 towing bill.

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Tim Moore was driving on Interstate 94 near Jackson on April 2 when he saw an ambulance parked along the eastbound lane, the Jackson Citizen Patriot reported.

He said he pulled over to try to help calm the woman, who was near the ambulance. When the rescuers learned of Moore's medical training, they asked if he would help administer CPR on the way to Foote Hospital.

"I pulled over in a bit of a hurry," said Moore, who since has returned to Camp Lejeune, N.C. "Of course, when they asked me to do CPR, I just locked the truck and didn't really think about moving it."

The man died in the emergency room.

When Moore returned to the side of the interstate two hours later, the truck was missing. It turns out the truck — parked partly over the white line marking the side of the road — was considered a travel hazard and towed.

Jackson County Undersheriff Tom Finco said deputies tried to call Moore before the tow but got no answer at the number they had on record. The charge was levied by the towing company.

"It's very unfortunate he stopped to do a good deed and that's what happened," Finco said, "but we definitely don't want his vehicle left there and hit by another car traveling down the ramp."

Moore said he was a little upset at the time. Now, he says: "It's only $60."

[0311_DoC]

I read that the Sheriff sent him a check for his towing bill as as other people sending him money.
http://www.ems1.com/news/articles/397004-Mich-sheriff-covers-medics-60-towing-bill

JACKSON, Mich. — A Navy medic is being reimbursed for a $60 towing bill he received while he was helping perform CPR on a heart attack victim.

Jackson County Undersheriff Tom Finco said the department was paying back Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Tim Moore as "a goodwill gesture"

"(Moore) said it wasn't necessary, he understood, but we sent him a check anyway," Finco said.

Moore, 24, who had just returned from Iraq, was driving on Interstate 94 on April 2 when he saw an ambulance parked on the side. He pulled over and comforted a woman whose fiance had suffered a heart attack inside the ambulance.

When the rescuers learned of Moore's medical training, they asked if he would help administer CPR. He left his truck on the exit ramp and got in. The man died at Foote Hospital in Jackson.

In the meantime, Moore's truck — parked partly over the white line marking the side of the road — was deemed a travel hazard and towed.

Moore, now stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., said people have been sending checks to his parents after word spread about the towing bill, but he plans to donate that money to veterans' charities.

[HMC8404]

I'm glad to see they did this for him. The Sheriff is a good man for recognizing this, even though the HM3's truck could have caused an accident left the way he parked it there, he still realized that it was the right thing to do.

Its also a good thing for the rest of us to be cognitive of if we should do the same.

[Corpsman77]

First rule:

Scene safety.