Ambulance Wreck Kills Woman - Texas

[Guest guest]

Anybody know which company this was? What happened to the other person on

the 12-year-old ambulance?

" Ambulance Wreck Kills Woman - Texas

One person was killed and another injured in a wreck involving an ambulance

and a car about 5:45 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. 155 about 6.2 miles south of

ston, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman.

Lela Granberry, 47, of Palestine, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pankonien, 22, of Houston, was treated at Palestine Regional Medical Center

and released.

A 1997 Ford ambulance driven by Ms. Pankonien was southbound on Texas 155

and traveled into the northbound lane, then continued into the east bar

ditch, the DPS spokesman said.

A northbound four-door 2006 Toyota driven by Ms. Granberry attempted to

avoid collision by traveling into the east bar ditch, where the two vehicles

collided, the DPS report stated. "

E. Bledsoe, DO, FACEP

Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine

University of Nevada School of Medicine

Department of Emergency Medicine

University Medical Center of Southern Nevada

[Guest guest]

http://www.palestineherald.com/local/local_story_305043745.html

Cause of fatal accident still being investigated

By PAUL STONE

The Palestine Herald

PALESTINE — A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper said he

continues to investigate why an ambulance driven by a Houston woman

crossed the center stripe and collided with another vehicle

Wednesday, killing a 47-year-old Palestine woman.

Lela Stafford Granberry, 47, of Palestine died early Wednesday

morning as a result of injuries sustained in a two-vehicle accident

on Texas 155, approximately 6.2 miles south of ston, according

to the DPS.

The accident occurred around 5:45 a.m. Wednesday when an ambulance

traveling southbound and operated by 22-year-old Darlene

Pankonien of Houston traveled into the northbound lane and then the

east bar ditch, colliding with a nortbound 2006 Toyota four-door

operated by Granberry, according to the DPS.

Granberry was pronounced dead at the scene by County Justice

of the Peace who has ordered an autopsy to be performed

at the Southeast Texas Forensic Science Center in Tyler.

The ambulance operated by Pankonien was owned by Huntsville-based

Acute Care EMS Inc., according to DPS Trooper Damien Conner, who is

investigating the accident.

Pankonien and a fellow EMS worker were returning to Huntsville after

having earlier transported and delivered a patient to a Tyler

hospital, according to the trooper.

At the time of the accident, the EMS workers remained " on duty, " but

were not responding to an emergency, according to Conner.

Pankonien was treated and released at Palestine Regional Medical

Center following the accident, while the male EMS worker was

uninjured, according to Conner.

The trooper said he was uncertain why Pankonien drove into the

oncoming lane and then the opposite bar ditch.

" I haven't been able to determine that, " Conner told the Herald-Press

Thursday afternoon.

Services for Granberry are pending at & Funeral Home in

Palestine.

Granberry was the daughter of the late Stafford, a former

County assistant district attorney, who died earlier this

month.

>

> Anybody know which company this was? What happened to the other

person on

> the 12-year-old ambulance?

>

> " Ambulance Wreck Kills Woman - Texas

>

> One person was killed and another injured in a wreck involving an

ambulance

> and a car about 5:45 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. 155 about 6.2 miles

south of

> ston, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety

spokesman.

> Lela Granberry, 47, of Palestine, was pronounced dead at the scene.

> Pankonien, 22, of Houston, was treated at Palestine Regional

Medical Center

> and released.

>

> A 1997 Ford ambulance driven by Ms. Pankonien was southbound on

Texas 155

> and traveled into the northbound lane, then continued into the east

bar

> ditch, the DPS spokesman said.

> A northbound four-door 2006 Toyota driven by Ms. Granberry

attempted to

> avoid collision by traveling into the east bar ditch, where the two

vehicles

> collided, the DPS report stated. "

>

>

> E. Bledsoe, DO, FACEP

> Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine

> University of Nevada School of Medicine

> Department of Emergency Medicine

> University Medical Center of Southern Nevada

>