Lawyer: Pgh Man Would Have Lived If Helped Sooner

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner says a Pittsburgh man who waited for 30 hours for paramedics during a February 5-7 snowstorm that gridlocked the city, died of natural causes. Dr. Karl Williams says the autopsy indicates that 50 year old Curtis Mitchell of Hazelwood died primarily of heart disease with a fatty liver as a contributing factor. Alan Perer is the attorney for the Mitchell family, and says this proves that Mitchell could have lived if he had gotten help sooner. Mitchell and his girlfriend called 9-1-1 ten times seeking help for his abdominal pain. Because of the heavy snow, medics couldn't get their vehicles to Mitchell's home and they asked him to walk a couple of blocks to meet them. As a result of this incident, one paramedic was fired and three others were suspended.