State by State: October 2020

MICHIGAN: Woman Pronounced Dead Later Found Alive

A 20-year-old Michigan woman pronounced dead after a heart attack was taken to a Detroit funeral home, where she was found to still be alive. According to the Southfield Fire Department, paramedics responded to a 9-1-1 call for a woman not breathing. They performed CPR but after 30 minutes concluded Timesha Beauchamp likely was no longer alive. Funeral home personnel picked up the body and took it to the funeral home but later saw her chest was still rising and falling. They called EMS, and Beauchamp was taken to a hospital for treatment. She is now represented by prominent attorney Geoffrey Fieger. 

VIRGINIA: Fatal Crash Will Send Former Provider to Prison

A former EMS provider will serve a year in prison for causing a fatal accident in King George County in 2018 by running a red light. William V. Watson, 42, was sentenced in King George Circuit Court to seven years with all but one suspended on an involuntary manslaughter conviction. Margaretta Ann Davis, 64, was heading south on U.S. 301 when her Nissan Quest was struck by a 2017 Ford F-450 ambulance driven by Watson. Watson testified that the sun was in his eyes and he didn’t realize he was in the intersection until it was too late. 

COLORADO: Firefighter-EMT Wins $100K on NBC Competition Show

Matt Chan, a firefighter and EMT with North Metro Fire Rescue District, won the second season of NBC’s The Titan Games, claiming a $100,000 prize. Contestants in the show competed in regional brackets against professional athletes known as “Titans,” with Chan defeating 10-time NFL Pro Bowl lineman Joe Thomas to advance. In the finale the Titans battled against one another for men’s and women’s prizes. Chan, who has a background in IT, has been at North Metro Fire since 2007.  

MISSISSIPPI: Medics Thwart Ambo Theft, Machete Threat

A Mississippi woman was arrested after trying to steal an ambulance and attacking a paramedic with a machete. Tupelo police Capt. Chuck McDougald said while the crew was attending to a patient in the rear of the ambulance, a female suspect climbed into the driver’s seat and started to drive away. One of the paramedics was able to reach in and turn the key to stop the vehicle; then the suspect allegedly got out and charged a medic with a machete before fleeing. A suspect was detained after a short foot chase, and the crew was able to continue care for their patient.