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EPA mandated device forces ambulance to shut down on the way to the hospital

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Michael Bastasch DCNF Managing Editor
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A vehicle emissions reduction device, which is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, forced an ambulance to shut down while carrying a suspect who was shot by Washington, D.C., police.

The EPA mandated device is meant to reduce diesel emissions and is required to be placed on all newer model diesel vehicles. The device can burn off diesel toxins automatically or manually, but if neither of those happen during the “re-generating cycle,” warning lights pop on and the vehicle is eventually forced to shut down.

“To my knowledge it’s never created a problem for us, but something different happened on this call,” DC Fire Deputy Chief John Donnelly told WUSA9, adding that it can be challenging to work within federal regulations.

“We’re not in a position to fight the EPA regulations and we’re not even going to try,” Donnelly added.

Donnelly said that the ambulance will be examined to see exactly what caused it to go into shutdown mode.

WUSA9 reports the ambulance stopped before it could reach the hospital. Another ambulance came to pick up the suspect 7 minutes after the first one stopped, and the suspect was pronounced dead on arrival at Howard University Hospital.

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