Greene County 911 dispatcher faces charges after allegedly refusing to send ambulance to sick woman

GREENE COUNTY, Pa. — A Greene County 911 dispatcher is facing charges after allegedly refusing to send an ambulance to a severely ill woman.

According to a release from the Greene County district attorney’s office, Leon Price was charged with involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person, official oppression and obstructing administration of law or other government function.

The charges arose after the death of Diania Kronk. Kronk passed away in 2020, after her daughter, Kelly Titchenell, contacted Greene County 911 and requested an ambulance for her mother. The release said Kronk died within the next 24 hours. She was 56 years old.

Investigation revealed that 911 services violated protocol and their own procedures by refusing to dispatch an ambulance to Kronk’s aid.

The release said it is alleged that her death is a direct result of 911′s violation of the policies.

“According to the investigation, she was denied medical services when all three ambulances were available for dispatch,” said District Attorney Dave Russo.

Price was the operator who handled the call. According to a lawsuit filed last week, Price said sending an ambulance to Kronk was a “waste of resources.”

The lawsuit said that Titchenell told Price her mother was jaundiced, incoherent and bleeding from the rectum, and that Titchenell had to watch her mother suffer a slow death because she was denied public emergency services.

“The investigation is being expanded to 911 management to see if this was a result of a potential unwritten 911 management policy in Greene County. No one should be denied emergency services in Greene County or anywhere else. Everyone should have equal protections and access to medical treatment,” Russo said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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