People die in ambulances all the time. It's not an uncommon occurrence. But suspicions were raised when an ambulance driver had 5 patients pass away while being transported for non-emergency reasons.
As reported by People, the 27-year-old allegedly killed 5 elderly patients who were under his care in Italy. The spree took place over a 9-month span last year, with each patient turning up dead due to a "cardiac arrest". They had previously been treated for serious illnesses, and were all traveling between between their homes and hospitals or clinics, according to the prosecutor's office.
The ambulance driver was a part of a two-person team that switched between driving between homes and hospitals, and caring for the patients.
His latest alleged victim was an 85-year-old woman. The woman was being transported from a cardiac facility to a rehab center. She was pronounced dead in the back of the man's ambulance, having experienced a cardiac arrest.
The death was classed as suspicious, and an autopsy was carried out. The as-yet-unknown autopsy report must have raised eyebrows, as the Italian Red Cross promptly suspended him. However, the local prosecution office in Fuori noted that "the deaths may have occurred by means of poisonous susbtances or other insidious means."
The Italian Red Cross stated that they had "learned with shock of the reports". They said that they hoped the investigation would shed some light onto the situation.
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The Prosecutor's Office May Charge the Ambulance Driver
The defense attorney of the unnamed ambulance driver, Gloria Parigi, told local media that her client had worked for the Italian Red Cross since 2023.
Parigi said in a statement, "He is shocked by what is emerging. He proclaims his innocence in a matter that has turned his life upside down."
"He has made himself available to the judicial authorities because he has nothing to hide. This is why he has requested a hearing by the prosecutor's office", she added.
The ambulance driver could receive a voluntary multiple homicide charge this week, according to the Forli prosecutor's office.
We hope that the truth comes out, and, if necessary, justice is served.
