Minden fatal crash raises concerns about on-call paramedic

Two on-call paramedics who were stationed with ambulances weren’t called to help dying women in a car crash despite being just minutes away.

Instead, 18-year-old Imojen Casey and 67-year-old Sheila Wilkinson, were left to wait an estimated 11 minutes longer for an ambulance to arrive.

Both women died at the scene of the two-car collision at Minden, west of Brisbane, which took place at a highway intersection just before midday on Saturday.

Queensland Ambulance Services (QAS) defended its decision to not use the on-call paramedics, explaining there were concerns they were too fatigued for the job.

As a result, QAS were third to arrive at the crash – behind police and the fire service – raising serious questions about the current on-call system in place.

Two on-call paramedics who were stationed with ambulances weren’t called to help dying women in a car crash (pictured) despite being just minutes away

Instead, 18-year-old Imojen Casey (pictured) and 67-year-old Sheila Wilkinson, were left to wait an estimated 11 minutes longer for an ambulance. Both women died at the scene

Instead, 18-year-old Imojen Casey (pictured) and 67-year-old Sheila Wilkinson, were left to wait an estimated 11 minutes longer for an ambulance. Both women died at the scene

A senior paramedic told the Courier Mail that the 11 lost minutes might have made a difference in attempting to save the lives of the two women.

‘For a job like this (the Minden crash) it would be a no-brainer to get called out. It’s a classic example of when you would be needed,’ he explained. 

Another source told the publication that emergency protocol had always been ‘the closest ambulance gets sent’.

‘How fatigued we are has never been too high on the agenda and paramedics all over the state know what it’s like to be going flat out for very long periods of time.’

 A senior paramedic told the Courier Mail that the 11 lost minutes might have made a difference in attempting to save the lives of the two women (pictured, paramedics working at scene)

 A senior paramedic told the Courier Mail that the 11 lost minutes might have made a difference in attempting to save the lives of the two women (pictured, paramedics working at scene)

But a QAS spokesman rejected assertions the on-call officers should have been brought out for the job, explaining there were concerns they would be too fatigued after completing two jobs overnight.

‘This dispatch decision was appropriate and deemed most suitable… considering the fatigue of the on-call staff. This was considered the better option,’ he said. 

A third person, a 21-year-old woman who was a passenger in the other car involved in the crash, was airlifted to hospital where she remains in a critical condition. 

Police are appealing for witnesses – including drivers of a truck towing earth moving equipment, a white van and a small white sedan – to come forward.

Imojen 

Imojen Casey, 18, was a passenger involved in the collision at a notorious intersection in Minden. She tragically died at the scene



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