Pregnant spouse needed to direct ambulance as her husband lay dying within the again as a result of driver did not understand how to hospital, inquest hears
A pregnant woman whose husband was dying in the back of an ambulance had to direct the driver to the hospital as he didn’t know the way, an inquest has head.
Motorcyclist Aaron Morris, 31, died at hospital after a crash with a car at a junction in Esh Winning, County Durham, on the afternoon of July 1, 2022.
His wife Samantha Morris was 13 weeks pregnant with twins and celebrating her birthday when the crash happened.
She was on her way to meet him following an overnight stay in hospital when she found her husband lying in the road.
Ms Morris told County Durham and Darlington Coroner’s Court that her husband was conscious and breathing when she arrived at the scene, just moments after the collision.
However, in the 54 minutes it took ambulance crews to arrive his condition deteriorated.
Motorcyclist Aaron Morris, 31, (right) died at hospital after a crash with a car at a junction in Esh Winning, County Durham, on the afternoon of July 1, 2022
Samantha Morris was 13 weeks pregnant with twins and celebrating her birthday when the crash happened
Ms Morris pictured with her twin boys Aaron-Junior John Robson Morris (left) and Ambrose-Ayren Morris (right)
He died shortly after arriving at the University Hospital of North Durham. Ms Morris told the inquest: ‘I was there to hold Aaron’s hand as his heart took its last beat.’
The inquest heard that several attempts to call for an ambulance were made by a number of people at the scene that day, including Ms Morris’ friend, a nurse practitioner.
However, one third party ambulance company, Ambulanz, arrived almost an hour after the first call was made.
Ms Morris said the driver had asked where the nearest trauma centre was and was on his way to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) when her husband went into cardiac arrest as the ambulance.
She then had to direct the driver to the nearest hospital., the inquest heard.
‘I was 13 weeks pregnant and my husband was having CPR in the back of the ambulance,’ Ms Morris said.
‘Why should I make the decision on what hospital my husband should be taken to? I have to live with the fact that if I said the RVI he might still be alive to this day.’
She added that the driver ‘made the right decision to ask’ amd that she doesn’t ‘fault him for that.
Ms Morris (left) told County Durham and Darlington Coroner’s Court that Mr Morris (right) was conscious and breathing when she arrived at the scene, just moments after the collision
He died shortly after arriving at the University Hospital of North Durham. Ms Morris told the inquest: ‘I was there to hold Aaron’s hand as his heart took its last beat’
It took 54 minutes for ambulance crews to arrive but his condition deteriorated in that time, the inquest heard
‘My fault in that is the people who manage and train him should have given him the tools to know where the nearest hospital is,’ she said.
‘He made the right decision that day by using what he had, which was me who lives in the local area.’
Mr Morris’ inquest first opened in May and was later adjourned after the coroner identified the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) as a party of interest.
Two officers from Durham Constabulary who attended the collision site were the first to give evidence today, including DC Rebecca Shaw, who told the hearing that she was the first officer on scene.
She was off-duty at the time driving and in the area when she was diverted around the collision by members of the public.
DC Shaw told the inquest that she stopped her car after seeing a body lying in the road, which was surrounded by a number of people.
Several 999 calls were then made from her mobile, which was then passed to off-duty nurse Helen.
