HONOLULU (KHON2) — The family of a man who died after an explosion and subsequent fire while being transported in an ambulance is suing the City & County of Honolulu and the paramedics, among others.
Fred Seiko Kaneshiro, 91, was being transported from Windward Mall to Castle Medical Center when the incident occurred on Aug. 24, 2022.
The above video, from March 2023, is about the final report on the ambulance fire
The family said Kaneshiro was sitting up and alert when he was placed into the patient compartment.
Court records show that the paramedic who was in the patient compartment was changing Kaneshiro’s oxygen mask from a non-rebreather to a CPAP when “a loud explosion occurred, which was immediately followed by a bright flash and a violent fire …”
The explosion caused the panel separating the patient and drivers compartments to “forcefully” blow into the driver’s compartment, at which time black smoke and intense heat entered.
The EMT who was driving stopped the ambulance in the Castle Medical Center parking lot, jumped out and went to the back of the ambulance where he opened the rear door.
“A black plume of smoke poured out from inside the rear of the EMS ambulance.”
The record further explains that EMT Jeff Wilkinson, who had been in the compartment with Kaneshiro, jumped out of the patient compartment and “quickly made his way up towards the emergency room for treatment.”
Wilkinson was critically injured during the incident.
Meanwhile, according to the court record, Kaneshiro “remained helpless and trapped in the EMS ambulance’s compartment still strapped to the gurney.”
Kaneshiro was pronounced dead at 9:13 p.m.
In the final report of the incident, released on Mar. 22, 2023, the Emergency Care Research Institute found the origin of the fire to be the portable oxygen cylinder regulator assembly.
ECRI said the possible causes could have been contamination or particulates within the oxygen cylinder.
The suit includes eight counts ranging from negligence and gross negligence on the part of the EMTs and manufacturers to wrongful death on the part of all defendants.
Kaneshiro’s estate also requested a jury trial.