Washington Post: Maryland State Police Medevac Crash Kills Four

Washington Post: Maryland State Police Medevac Crash Kills Four

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Maryland State Police Medevac Crash Kills Four By Aaron C. Davis and Matt Zapotosky

Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, September 28, 2008; 10:26 AM

Four people were killed early this morning when a Maryland State Police medical evacuation helicopter crashed in a park near Capitol Heights after encountering bad weather, authorities said.

Two Maryland State troopers, a Charles County emergency medical technician were transporting two female patients from a motor vehicle accident to Prince George's Hospital when the crash occurred.

Authorities identified those killed as Stephen H. Bunker, 59, the pilot; Mickey C. Lippy, 34, the flight paramedic, a state trooper first class; Tanya Mallard, 39, an emergency medical technician from rescue squad station 12 in Waldorf; and Ashley Youngler, 18, one of the victims in the vehicle crash. Jordan Wells, 18, another of the vehicle accident victims, survived in critical condition.

The crash was the deadliest in the 47-year history of the Maryland State Police aviation unit, and the department's first in more than 22 years. The state police conduct almost all aerial medical evacuations in Maryland, and are the only such publicly run, statewide service in the country. Trooper 2, the helicopter that crashed, has routinely ranked as one of the busiest in the country in recent years.

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The state police operate a fleet of 12 EuroCopter Dauphin helicopters capable of medical evacuations.

Despite funding concerns and aging equipment, the department has held one of the best safety records in the country. Its last crash was on Jan. 19, 1986, when two officers encountered severe fog and crashed in West Baltimore after transporting a shooting victim to a hospital.

In all, there has been one airplane and three fatal helicopter crashes since the unit was formed in 1961. By contrast, crashes involving private air ambulances have soared in recent years, with 55 crashes from 2002 to 2005, according to a 2006 congressional report.

The state legislature last year endorsed replacing the department's 18-year-old fleet at a cost of $110 million. Some lawmakers said maintaining the state-run fleet was critical to equally serving residents in rural and urban areas.

The state police keep the helicopters in eight locations across Maryland so they can reach any corner of the state within 18 minutes.

Last year, a Washington Post reporter rode along on Trooper 2 as it took off and landed more than 20 times in six hours, carrying patients to and from Prince George's hospitals.

20080928 Maryland State Police Medevac Crash Kills Four