Man jumps from ambulance on way to mental hospital dies
Published: October 10, 2009
Updated: October 10, 2009
GARDENDALE, Ala. - An Alabama state trooper tells NBC 13 HD News that a 55-year-old Larry James Salter of Greenville has died after jumping out of an ambulance Saturday morning.
Salter was being taken to a Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa by the Blount EMS
ambulance service when he jumped at 9:37 a.m. Saturday.
The ambulance was traveling south on Interstate 65 north
of Gardendale.
Salter was taken to UAB Hospital in another ambulance.
State Troopers say incident is still being investigated and is currently being classified as a suicide
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I think we all need to remember that this is someones son, husband, brother and father! My heart goes out to the family. We will never know why these things happen to so many people everyday, it is terribly sad!! So, use a little tact…it could have been a member of your family…and how would some of these comments make you feel?
As for the EMT that we’re involved, I feel that they can only do what the law allows them to! No one knows why things like this happen, nor do we know what was going on in that ambulance at the time nor going through this mans mind!
After some reading and research, this man was a very prominent retired business owner in Greenville and very well known and it has taken everyone in his community by suprise! So we must all be very careful how we speak our opinions concerning others that we do not know!
I’m sorry if any Medics/EMS/ B’ham Firefighers feel offended, I apologize to one and ALL!
My comments are really aim at the ones who make a joke of a tragedy like this.
I have a deep respect for the Medics and Firefrighters who put their lives on the line day and night to save lives…
I feel sorry for all involed. But not knowing what all happened in the back of the truck you can not second guess the medic.You have very limited space in the back.I seen where a guy had a knife and cut the straps of the cot and was going to cut a Birmingham Fire Fighter and the Medic had the driver to stop and got the Fire Medic out and this was on I 59. Ive spend almost 20 yrs doing little of all.When they start swinging u can only do so much. Ps Thanks to all the Fire Fighter,EMS And Law Enforcement.
Being an EMT myself, and having transferred numerous “mental” patients, I wanted to give my opinion. We do not know what type of mental disorder this poor man had or even if he actually did have one. Out of all the patients that I have carried to mental facilities, only one has ever been in restraints. If you have ever seen these restraints they are made if cotton and very thin straps (not very reassuring if you have a violent patient). Any unless they are papers saying otherwise, and EMT cannot hold a patient against their will, its called kidnapping! The only way we can even restrain a patient is with orders unless they are trying to hurt themselves or others. I have carried so very angry people on some very long trips. Unless you were in the ambulance at the time of the accident, you have no right to pass judgement on the EMTs there. What would you do to protect yourself? And could you stop a person trying to get out of an ambulance? This was a grown man, not a child. It is a very sad thing that it happened and I feel very bad for all those involved. We may never understand what happened.
they dont put patients in straight jackest for ambulance transfers anymore, unless the patient was showing signs of self or staff harm he would not have been restrained by the staff and even if he was restraints the restraint equipment was most likely very cheap and easy to pull from (i know this cause we use cheap restraints). it doesnt take much effort to get off a strecher and walk out the back of a ambulance. it can be done very easily even before the ems personel could react. besides the mental patient may have threaten the staff member in the process and speaking for myself and many other in this feild i’m not about to get mauled by some mental patient in the back of a small ambulance to keep his tail from jumping out…if it comes to him wanting to get out vs. me getting my ear torn off or eye poked out trying to prevent him, i’m staying out of the way and i’ll even open the damn door for him.
I don’t think any death is FUNNY or a joking matter. I still hold to the fact, someone should have been with him maybe he/she could have stop him form jumping.
it was his time 2 go
Your right jeff0910,I dont know all the facts nor am I sitting in judgement of this person.May he RIP and may God comfort the family.We may learn more as time goes on.
I would hope that they would have them in a straight jacket while traveling. But if they see no reason they may not do this. I wish they would have posted more. And to me this is a place to post your comments on how you feel, and bamatideman did that. Nothing wrong with that and nothing wrong with djbillyd reply back.
bamatideman, what you said was insensitive. This was a tragedy, not an open forum for some useless argument. No, it isn’t about you, or me. But it isn’t about suicide either. Did you read the article? The person was a mental patient. Who says he wanted to take himself out? Get the point? Now, stop this useless bantering. May the families involved be comforted by the God of comfort. My condolences and respects to them.
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