** Daughter of New Jersey woman sues over ambulance crash
** Pennsylvania paramedic gets 5-10 in state prison for robbery, assault, and other charges
UNITED STATES NEWS
** The daughter of an 87-year-old New Jersey woman, who was injured in a March 23, 2015 ambulance crash, is suing the EMS service over the pain and suffering her mother endured. That is the word from The New Jersey Advance (Anthony G. Attrino/November 21) which said although Dumont resident Florence Stricker sustained injuries in the accident, she died from unrelated causes on April 26th of that year. According to the newspaper, Stricker’s daughter, Sharon Rossi, has named Guardian EMS in the suit, as well as the driver of the ambulance and the two drivers of the cars that collided with the prehospital rig. The action accuses all three drivers of carelessness, recklessness, and negligence. Along with a jury trial, Rossi is seeking unspecified damages.
** A Highspire, Pennsylvania paramedic will serve between five and ten years in state prison after being convicted of robbery, simple assault, conspiracy, and making terroristic threats. Pennsylvania Live (Matt Miller/November 22) said Anton Benkowitsch, Jr., 31, was sentenced Tuesday. According to the newspaper, Benkowitsch pleaded guilty last month to the charges which relate to several incidents in January. Police said Benkowitsch took to crime after an accident led to him becoming dependent on prescription pain killers. Once his health insurance ran out, he sought pills on the streets and began taking harder drugs. He then turned to robbery to pay for his habit. During the sentencing hearing, Benkowitsch apologized to his victims and said he took full responsibility for his actions.
