Sask. paramedics recovering after being struck by vehicle in Las Vegas

WACH: Two paramedics from Prince Albert are recovering after being hit by a vehicle while on vacation in Las Vegas.

Two Prince Albert paramedics are recovering from injuries after being hit by a vehicle while on vacation in Las Vegas, but the medical bills are staggering.

Roberta Sinclair was awoken at 3:30 Saturday morning to a call no parent wants to receive.

“I was in bed, answer the phone call and it’s a police officer,” said Sinclair. “And he told me, your daughter has been struck by a vehicle and she’s in the back of my police vehicle here. We are waiting for the ambulance and she’s in a lot of pain.”

Katrine Sinclair and her coworker, Charlie Lastowsky, were taken to hospital to be treated for significant injuries that would require surgery.

“Fractured pelvis in three areas,” said Sinclair. “She had a broken rib, broken humerus, and we also found out she has an L3 to L5 vertebrae fractures. But no nerve damage, thank God.”

She says the two paramedics are being each other’s supporters while in hospital, and both are on the road to recovery.

“Each friend would be like, hey, you’re 30 minutes past your last pain med,” said Sinclair. “You ring that buzzer or I will, and so they’ve been each other’s advocates and lifting each other’s spirits. When one is trying to sit up and groaning in pain, the other one’s like, oh come on, it’s not that bad.”

Sinclair says details of the collision are not yet available from police, and could take up to 10 days for any updates.

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While Lastowsky had some medical insurance, Sinclair did not. And the girls still need to be transported home by air ambulance.

“Getting home definitely has to be an air ambulance because they can barely sit up,” she said. “They need pain medication to manage their pain because of the extent of their injuries. That is my goal today, to arrange air ambulance.”

To help with the existing medical bills and those that will follow, a GoFundMe has raised over $80,000.

“I am so incredibly grateful for the community, I mean, there are no words,” she said. “That is why I love Saskatchewan. Our small town feeling. It’s amazing how it branches out. Parkland Ambulance has reached out to their contacts and seen what they can do. The police, the fire, they’re getting the word out. Our chuckwagon association is doing an online fundraiser with a silent auction. We appreciate the financial support, but even is the prayers in the energy. Katrine told me the other day, mom, I think I can just feel the energy, the goodness coming from people and the prayers and it’s really good for the girls.”

Coworkers back home are wishing for a speedy recovery.

“We’re going to kind of want to, you know, help them out with things and do what we can to support them,” said Lyle Karasiuk, director of public affairs at Parkland Ambulance.

“And we just look forward to seeing them back again and in the workplace and doing the job that they’ve come to know and love.”

While she’s grateful the girls are ok, Sinclair hopes this serves as a reminder for young people to look after themselves.

“When you’re 19, 20, 21, it’s a transition phase, right? You’re an adult,” said Sinclair. “Your parents don’t always have the legal capacities to help you anymore, don’t have the benefits from their work anymore. These kids still think they’re invincible and nothing will happen to me, and life is unpredictable. So I really hope that other people learn from this and plan, and be like, yeah I should get that medical insurance because you never know what’s going to happen.”