San Diego Personal Injury Attorney Blog

A 24-year-old paramedic and ambulance driver responding to a minor collision on the Cabrillo Freeway (Highway 163), north of Balboa Park, was tragically struck and killed Thursday morning, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said. Esteban Behena, the paramedic, was placing flares out around the accident scene when he was struck by another vehicle. He was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital in the same ambulance he had been driving minutes earlier. He died just after 8:30 a.m.

Behana worked for San Diego Medical Services, a private company contracted with the city to work with fire department paramedics and provide ambulance services when needed. According to a spokesmen for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, the fatality accident was the first of its kind in the history of the 13 year partnership of the City of San Diego and San Diego Medical Services. According to reports by San Diego 6 News, a blood technician was dispatched to UCSD to take a sample from the driver who struck Behana. The CHP will investigate whether alcohol played a role in the crash.

EMTs and Paramedics Killed In The Line of Duty

This April 1, 2010 fatal EMT accident is one of a number of recent accidents involving an emergency responder killed in the line of duty. On January 13, 2010, a veteran New York firefighter responding to an emergency call was killed in a three vehicle crash in Ithaca. On January 8, 2010, a 33-year-old Arizona paramedic and employee of Southwest Ambulance was killed in a crash enroute from one duty station to another. On October 22, 2009, a 54-year-old first responder from the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina was killed in an ambulance crash en route to a call. The majority of EMS fatalities involve collisions with an ambulance and another vehicle, which makes this San Diego incident unique.

Wrongful Death and Liability Issues

While this horrific accident remains under investigation, the family of Esteban Behena would be well-advised to contact an experienced San Diego wrongful death attorney who has handled ambulance and emergency responder related incidents. An attorney can help the family understand the unique legal issues of this accident and hold the parties responsible accountable to the maximum extent. Even if the driver is not cited or criminally charged, the family may still pursue a civil claim to hold him or her responsible and compensate the family for their loss.