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Commissioners, advisory committee urge solutions after ambulance delay tied to Deep Creek Elementary pickup stacking
Summary
Members of the MPO Citizens Advisory Committee and several commissioners pressed for better pickup/drop‑off management at Deep Creek Elementary after a reported ambulance delay during student stacking reportedly resulted in a fatality; board sought engagement with the school district and enforcement options.
Members of the MPO Citizens Advisory Committee reported a serious incident at Deep Creek Elementary in which dense vehicle stacking during student pickup blocked an ambulance en route to a medical emergency, and a committee member said the patient later died. Committee members and multiple commissioners urged a coordinated response involving the school district, sheriff’s office and county traffic staff to identify operational fixes.
Diane Quilty, chair of the MPO Citizens Advisory Committee, related the committee’s account: the committee heard a report that heavy stacking of cars during pickup and drop‑off prevented an ambulance from leaving the neighborhood in time for a medical emergency and that the patient ultimately died. Quilty said the sheriff’s deputy who spoke with the committee advised that school‑site operational changes fall under the school board’s purview.
Several commissioners and committee members recommended immediate operational changes to reduce on‑street standing during arrival and dismissal, including staging zones off the main roadway, off‑site parent staging areas with radio or walkie‑talkie notification from school staff, more active traffic direction at critical times (sheriff’s deputies or crossing guards), clearer signage prohibiting standing, and enforcement of parking/standing violations.
Commissioners noted that typical school‑site design does not always accommodate modern levels of parent pick‑up traffic and suggested the county coordinate a joint discussion with the school district and school transportation staff at an upcoming local transportation workshop. The board requested that staff follow up and work with the school district and sheriff’s office to identify practical, near‑term steps before the next school term.
No formal board action was taken at this meeting; the matter was discussed as part of the Citizens Advisory Committee report and the board’s member comments.
