Ambulance Service Concerns In Van Buren County

"In this case I'm heartbroken"

This is emotional reaction from Brett Blackney's friend and client Jean Robinson.

She feels maybe his life didn't have to end.

According to this Clinton Police Report, Southern Paramedics could not transport Brett Blakney to Little Rock, because they had only one ambulance and couldn't leave the county unattended.  The company has two ambulances stationed in Clinton.

We spoke to CEO of the company Greg Padgett by phone.

I asked him, "You could not transport Blakney because you would have left the county unattended?

Padget replied, "Why we did not transport that patient would be a question for the hospital." 

So we went to Ozark Health in Van Buren County and talked with Spokesman Adam Holt.

KARK asked Holt if the ambulance service wasn't able to leave the county and Med Flight wasn't able to come in, where does that leave you when you need to give a patient more serious care than you can give here?

"Unfortunately at this time we are still doing a routine analysis, as we do anytime something like this might occur.

So until that is completed we really can't give any other information."

Still Robinson is hurt.

"You know he was a young man he had a life ahead of him."