Ohio Ambulance Driver Leaves Chest-Pain Patient, Calls Uber Home

An ambulance driver in Cleveland left a woman with chest pain inside a parked vehicle Wednesday evening after getting lost on the way to the Cleveland Clinic, then called an Uber to take himself home. The driver worked for a private ambulance company, not Cleveland EMS.

The woman had been in his care for transport to the Cleveland Clinic when he told her he was done driving for the day. After he departed, a Cleveland EMS unit reached the scene. Paramedics provided treatment and drove her to the hospital, according to the Cleveland Association of Rescue Employees Local 1975.

A CARE spokesperson said in a statement: "We stand by our EMTs, paramedics and dispatchers who strive to provide the best care to anyone who is in need of it."

A spokesperson for the private ambulance company saidthat immediate steps were taken to address the situation and that it is reviewing the circumstances. "As this involves personnel and patient related matters, we are unable to comment further," the spokesperson wrote. The company did not name the driver or the patient.

No criminal charges or disciplinary action have been announced. The company said it will take action based on the findings of its review.