Ambulance arrived an hour after 911 call; woman died, family is suing over slow response

Published 10:32 am Thursday, August 22, 2019

Family members of a Mississippi woman who went into cardiac arrest and died after waiting about an hour for an ambulance are suing the county, city and ambulance service for negligence.

The Clarion Ledger reports 63-year-old Elizabeth Neal began feeling the symptoms of congestive heart failure while at Bible study in 2018 and called 911. The lawsuit says an ambulance arrived nearly an hour later as Neal entered full cardiac arrest. CPR was performed, but she later died at a hospital.

Neal’s daughters Tameka Dinkins and Rosalind Yarber filed for unspecified damages against Hinds County, the city of Jackson and the ambulance service. Yarber is the wife of former Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber.

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Hinds County Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen said the county’s not responsible because the ambulance company is independent.