Connecticut Man Pronounced Dead After Lightning Strike To Sue

Stonington -- Kevin Crandall, the North Stonington man hit by lightning and originally pronounced dead by the Stonington Ambulance Corps, has filed a notice of his intent to sue the town and four ambulance company members.

North Stonington attorney Stephen Reck stated in the notice that he intends to bring legal action because of neurological injuries and anoxic brain damage suffered by Crandall, who fronted a local blues band and worked as a mason.

"Kevin just wants to make sure this doesn't happen again to anyone," Reck said. "Everyone deserves a chance to be resuscitated."

Reck said Crandall continues to have neurological problems and is still unable to play his music.

Named in the notice are ambulance company president Victor Lima, vice president Iona Lyons, and member Dan Blackstone, all emergency medical technicians, and Medical Response Technician Robert Staplin. Also named was the town, which partially funds the annual operation of the ambulance company, an independent nonprofit organization.

Crandall was struck by lightning on May 31 as he was building a stone wall behind a home at 11 Main St. in Stonington Borough.

Witnesses and police said emergency medical technicians from the ambulance service indicated Crandall was dead and covered him with a blanket, but that 10 minutes later a police officer noticed Crandall was breathing.

He was rushed to The Westerly Hospital and then transferred to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London, where he was initially placed on life support. He recovered and was released from the hospital a few weeks later.

The state Office of Emergency Medical Services then began an investigation into whether the ambulance service properly treated Crandall.

State protocols require EMTs to start and continue CPR until paramedics, who have a higher level of training, get to the scene and take over for them or a doctor tells them to cease resuscitation efforts. Neither appears to have occurred in this case.

"It's clear that errors were made here," Reck said.

The state said this week that it continues to investigate the incident.

Staplin and Blackstone declined to comment Wednesday. Lima and Lyons could not be reached for comment.

Bob Holdsworth, a consultant who has spoken on behalf of the ambulance service in the past, said there was no way to comment until more details are filed by Crandall.

"We'll await further words from Mr. Crandall on what he intends to do," Holdsworth said.

The case would likely be handled by attorneys for the insurance company which covers the ambulance service.