Brother seeks answers in fatal crash

The brother of a Blanchard woman who was killed in an ambulance crash early Wednesday wants answers as to why his sister died.

Carolyn D. Koch, 66, was killed after being thrown from an ambulance that had crashed near Interstate 44 and SW 59 about 12:10 a.m. Wednesday.

“Do they not strap them down anymore? I mean, I’m in no shape or fashion to gain off of anything like this, but I kind of

think somebody needs to be held accountable here,” said Joe Catlin, Koch’s brother.

Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the ambulance ran off the road, rolled and came apart. Although the cause of the wreck remains under investigation, a Highway Patrol spokesman said investigators think speed may have been a contributing factor.

Catlin said Koch had recently had some trouble with a cold and her doctor told her she needed to see a cardiologist. Catlin said Koch had become overheated while mowing her yard Tuesday, and a neighbor took her to a doctor.

“Evidently, they ran some kind of tests on her last night and decided that they needed to transport her to Oklahoma City and didn’t make it to Oklahoma City,” Catlin said. “We trust our lives to an ambulance driver, they put you in the back of an ambulance and strap you down on a gurney and send you on your way and that’s pretty much laying your life in their hands.”

The driver of the ambulance,

Matthew B. Erickson, 32, of Yukon, and a passenger, paramedic Chelsea M. Stewart, 28, of Norman, were taken to OU Medical Center to be treated for their injuries and were admitted in good condition.

St. Anthony Hospital, which operated the ambulance, released a statement about the wreck Wednesday morning.

Hospital spokeswoman Sandra Payne wrote that the medical team, consisting of an emergency medical technician and a paramedic, was taking Koch from St. Anthony Healthplex South to their main campus downtown when the accident occurred.

“This is a tragic time for the St. Anthony family, as the safety of our patients and our employees is a top priority. We extend our prayers, thoughts and support to the patient’s family and our co-workers and their families during this very difficult time.”

Catlin said his sister had previously lived in Edmond before moving to Blanchard about 10 years ago, and said she was always there for those in her community.

“Everybody knew her; she was one of those that has a heart of gold for everybody,” he said.