Hell on wheels
Medic & patient struck by road rage maniac
He works every day with hospital patients — but allegedly had no patience with an ambulance worker helping a sick man Thanksgiving Day.
Kevin Green, 34, wanted Thursday to drive his Nissan Altima past an ambulance that blocked his way on W. 151st St. near Amsterdam Ave. in Harlem.
At the time, the ambulance crew — who worked for New York-Presbyterian Hospital — was tending to Fernando Rosario, 67, who had difficulty breathing. “No cars could pass because the street is so narrow,” said Mary Vic, Rosario’s 27-year-old niece.
An EMT asked Green to wait.
When the crew brought Rosario to the ambulance, Green began arguing with the EMT who’d told him to wait. “He was like, ‘get the f---ing old man in the ambulance already,’” said Vic.
Green evidently couldn’t shake his anger with the EMT. He got back behind the wheel of the Nissan — and, according to Manhattan Assistant DA Ashley Durkin, “yelled that he was going to hit him with his car.”
Then, Green stepped on the gas and headed for the ambulance.
The EMT tried to wheel Rosario out of the way — but he couldn’t move fast enough. “They both got hit,” said Vic. The men were pinned between Green’s car and the ambulance, a prosecutor said.
Rosario suffered a broken leg in the crash. The 55-yearold EMT, whose name was not released, suffered a shoulder injury, Durkin said.
Both men were taken to Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.
Rosario needs a blood transfusion and will be getting plates in his leg to keep his bone in place. “He’s getting surgery tomorrow [Saturday],” Vic said. “His leg is even more swollen today.”
Green has been arrested a handful of times for driving on a suspended license and other motor vehicle offenses and was once arrested for attacking an on-duty school safety agent, sources with knowledge of the case said.
Green’s bail was set at $25,000 bond or $10,000 cash at arraignment Friday night in Manahttan Criminal Court.
Green’s Legal Aid lawyer said he works as a patient transporter at NYU Langone Medical Center. Patient transporters typically move people in and out of wheelchairs and around hospitals. Green has also worked with disabled people at SCO Family of Services, a social services agency, the lawyer said.
FDNY EMS Union President Oren Barzilay said he was glad the medic was not seriously hurt.
“Regardless of what uniform we all wear, the danger in the streets is always out there,” Barzilay said. “The incident could have ended tragically. Although he doesn’t work for us, we are grateful to know that our EMS brother is OK.”
Barzilay is also gratified to know that Green has been arrested, he said.
“We hope the courts will push through with all charges against this individual,” he said. “Assaults on any first responders should not be tolerated.”
“The public is getting bolder and bolder,” he said. “When they see no actions by the courts, what’s going to stop the next individual from killing us?”