Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "ambulance accidents" ...

  • Rescues Gone Wrong

    The reporters investigated an alarming increase in air ambulance crashes. The found that the accidents were cause by a fatal mix of pilot error, industry carelessness and poor government oversight.

    Tags: air ambulance; emergency calls; helicopters; fatal accidents

    By Alan Levin;Robert Davis;Paul Overberg;Marie Skelton

    USA Today (McLean, Va.)

    2005

  • Unsafe Saviors

    This story looks at how there are no safeguards against accidents caused by ambulances. As this reporter investigates, the ambulances are not put through severe tests before they are put on the road, nor are the drivers given enough training. In fact, the investigation found that people have a higher risk of being harmed in a an ambulance crash than in other vehicle accidents.

    Tags: ambulances; ambulance accidents; ambulance crashes; risk of accidents in ambulances; paramedics; hospitals; vehicle accidents

    By Lisa Zagaroli;April Taylor

    Detroit News

    2003

  • Trying to avoid another Tiger Canyon tragedy

    When a car careened off a mountain on the Washington-Oregon border, a confusion in which ambulance service should respond led to a major delay in the victims getting help. The victim died eleven days later from injuries sustained during the crash.

    Tags: ambulance; territory; accidents; automobiles

    By Kathy Korengel

    Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla

    2002

  • Call For Help

    The Washington City Paper reports on a local fire district and how its tardiness caused a young woman to ultimately die. "In 1999, the year Julia Rusinek died, D.C. firefighters and emergency medical workers responded to about 120,000 medical calls. That is an average of one call every 4.38 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In the same year . . . it took rescuers in the nation's capital an average of 10 minutes, 44 seconds to get advanced life support to the scene of a medical emergency- nearly twice the national average of five minutes, 24 seconds." The article details the length of time it took rescuers to get to Rusinek, the circumstances surrounding her death and the changes the fire department is trying to implement because of this case.

    Tags: firefighters; medical; accidents; death; D.C. Fire Department; EMT; ambulance; emergency

    By Jonathan Agronsky

    City Paper (Washington, D.C.)

    2001

  • IRE Feed 3, "Hot Stories and Cool Techniques."

    A compilation of 8 Stories: 1.) "License For Sale" KCBS, Los Angeles, Criminals and government employees illegally buying real drivers licenses. 2.) "Demon Drivers" WSMV, Nashville. 3.) "Ambulance Felons" KNXV, Phoenix, Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians stealing credit cards from victim's homes and more. 4.) "Hunter Felons" WCCO, Minneapolis, Criminals with firearm hunting licenses. 5.) "Skin Peddler" WXYZ, Detroit, Underage dancers and prostitution. 6.) "Cash, Trash, and Politics." News 12 Long Island, Campaign finance money like with the garbage business. 7.) "Toxic Traffic" WJXT, Jacksonville, Hazardous material accidents and toxic waste dumps. 8.) "Military Secrets" WRAL, Raleigh, Military personnel can't sue for malpractice.

    Tags: TAPE; KCBS; WSMV; KNXV; WCCO; WXYZ; News 12 Long Island; WJXT; WRAL.

    By None

    IRE

    1998

  • No title (id: 9825)

    KMGH-TV (Denver, Colo.) discloses how tow truck drivers race each other to get to the scene of accidents where they often bully drivers to pick their company; former criminals and bouncers are often recruited to be tow truck drivers and they often harass people in ambulances, Nov. 22, 1993.

    Tags: CO Minshall tape 47 pages

    By None

    KMGH-TV (Denver)

    1993

  • No title (id: 672)

    Chicago Sun-Times runs series on a $3 billion-a-year auto accident swindle operation; reporters went undercover to examine the elaborate racket involving ambulance chasers, crooked lawyers, doctors and clinics conspiring to collect huge insurance sums, thereby raising insurance rates by as much as one-third, February 1980.

    Tags: None

    By None

    Chicago Sun-Times

    1980

  • No title (id: 5)

    Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel series shows high accident rate among ambulance drivers in city, September 1981.

    Tags: Broward County; ambulances; fort lauderdale; poverty

    By

    Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

    1981