Teaching Piano Lessons for 80 years. At 95-years old, Elba Ruilova still teaches piano lessons four afternoons a week from her west Tampa home. She began teaching when she was 15.
When emergency vehicles rush to save lives with lights and sirens going, death can follow.
It's March 29, a Saturday afternoon, and Janet Mauriello is on the back of a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic heading east on Park Boulevard.
Janet is 67. Her husband, Robert, 70, is up front, gripping the throttle. The Indian Rocks Beach couple have ridden motorcycles together for nearly 50 years.
It's sunny and warm, with little wind. A fine day to ride.
Police reports, interviews and 911 recordings detail what happens next:
At 4:09 p.m., a worried man in Pinellas Park calls 911.
"I have an emergency here with my son and a dog that bit him," he says. "And the owner is trying to, I don't know, be aggressive against me."
The call taker gets the man's location, then asks, "Do I need to send paramedics out for your son?"
It's the only time the call taker will ask a medical question during the 1-minute, 40-second call.
"Not now," the man says. "Well, just to make sure that he's all right, please, if it's possible."
"Sure," the call taker says. "I'll send them out there."
Dispatchers send an ambulance, plus a fire engine. The Pinellas Park rescue unit assigned to the area is on another call, so a nearby unit is sent.
The rescue vehicle, lights and siren on, heads down 52nd Street, toward the dog bite call and Park Boulevard.
David Monroe, who teaches ethics at St. Petersburg College, is driving his Honda Prelude east on Park Boulevard. He has a green light at 52nd Street.
But hearing the rescue unit headed south, he slams on his brakes, allowing the vehicle through the intersection.
Robert Mauriello's motorcycle is about 70 feet behind Monroe. He leans on the rear brake and grabs the front. White smoke flies as the bike's tires lock up.
The Harley begins to slide, falling to the right.
Janet Mauriello is tossed into the next lane. Her helmeted head strikes the left front fender of a Dodge Dakota pickup, and she is pulled under the truck.
At 4:13 p.m., virtually the same moment or just seconds after Janet Mauriello falls, dispatchers downgrade the dog bite to a nonemergency.
The 8-year-old boy's injuries are found to be minor.
Mauriello is pronounced dead at Northside Hospital at 4:45 p.m.
• • •
No charges are being sought in Mauriello's death, which police have determined was an accident. Mauriello's family declined to speak with the Times, saying they've been advised not to.
Deputy Pinellas Park Fire Chief Steve McCarthy likewise declined to talk.
"Not because we have done anything wrong," he said, "but because I'm sure it's going to end up in court at some point."
Alan Craig, a researcher and deputy chief of Toronto EMS, said there's a name for the chain of events that took Mauriello's life. In the EMS community, it's called a "wake effect" accident.
"All lights-and-siren emergency response carries with it a risk," Craig said. "And we need to take steps to be certain about the risks we take."
• • •
The day of the accident, the driver who ran over Mauriello was heading home to celebrate his 18th wedding anniversary.
That night, James Harrison of Lithia didn't tell his wife he had accidently killed a woman. That took a few days.
"I'm not dealing real well," said Harrison, 36, who restores hot rods and show cars. "But I'm dealing better than her husband is, I'm sure."
Times researchers Caryn Baird and Will Gorham contributed to this report.
[Last modified: May 04, 2008 11:57 AM]
Comments on this article
by Karen
May 2, 2008 2:22 PM
How is "70 feet" tailgating? That's approximately 4.5 car lengths behind the other vehicle. Either no one here drives in Pinellas county, or no one is honest about their driving habits.
by Wes
May 1, 2008 1:40 PM
Now THAT makes sense. Why do we keep blaming the fire departments and Sunstar for responding to the thousands of stupid calls that people should not have made in the first place? A dog bite? Come on, get real people.
by Dave
May 1, 2008 8:49 AM
Carol, a better question would be: "Why call 911 for a dog bite?" EMS has to assume that all 911 calls are actually emergencies. They send the closest unit then follow with paramedics. Blame the callers, not the responders.
by Carol
Apr 29, 2008 2:48 PM
Why send a fire truck to a dog bite? Was something on fire?
by Rich
Apr 27, 2008 1:39 PM
When did the Times become so anti public servant? First they turn the taxpayers against the deferred retirement option (DROP) and now they are going after EMS dispatch protocols? No wonder they say that being a fireman is a thankless job.
by Wes
Apr 27, 2008 1:39 PM
So the car panic stops, the tailgating motorcycle crashes because a panicky father calls a false alarm to 911 for a non emergency, and the only people that are truly blameless, the fire department, are being singled out for blame? Only in America.
by Dave
Apr 27, 2008 1:39 PM
It seems to me that the guy who asked for emergency services because of a minor dog bite is ultimately responsible for this chain of events. Why would anyone call 911 for such a trivial matter? Its a false alarm that got someone killed.
by John
Apr 27, 2008 11:50 AM
Priority dispatch doesn't work with county 911 center taking call dispatching FD then transfering call to private contractor at Sunstar to screen it. What do you do hold the call till Sunstar screens. There should only be one dispatch center.
by Deir
Apr 27, 2008 10:08 AM
If you leave enough distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, you will be able to stop safely in case of an emergency. This was entirely avoidable if the rider had not been following too closely.
by richard
Apr 27, 2008 9:05 AM
Had there been an intersection controller (traffic pre-emption system)operated bythe emergency vehicle, t would have changed the signal to red 1000 to 2000' before the emergency vehicle reached the intersection. A tragic but avoid
by Dispatcher
Apr 27, 2008 8:48 AM
Another case of too many resources responding the wrong way. A simple dog bite warranted a non emergency Fire Rescue OR Ambulance response only. There was no need for multiple paramedics to be rushing to the scene.
by R911Dsptchr
Apr 27, 2008 8:48 AM
This is a sad side effect of the things we (Pub Safety Professionals)do in the name of Helping others. It is sad for this family ,as well as poss hundreds of others in the country every day. We do not need everyone on every call!
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