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.
"They're still coping with their loss," said Robert Miyashita, the attorney representing the family of Fred Kaneshiro. "What's most horrific is that their family member has passed away and perished in the fire while being trapped in the ambulance."
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 Adventist Health 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.
"They send their sympathies to the family. They were reluctant to name them as parties to this case," said Miyashita. "Unfortunately, because we needed to conduct further investigation and we're in hopes that we can reach an agreement with the city to ultimately dismiss them from the case."
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.
"It was a very traumatic event for everybody, including the community, just to imagine, of perishing in the fire or being trapped in an ambulance is just very horrific. And so they are ultimately looking for some type of accountability and closure," said Miyashita.
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.