Maryland 911 dispatcher tells teen girl to ‘stop whining’ after father fatally hit by car
Rick Warrick, 38, and his fiancee, Julia Pearce, 28, were struck in a hit-and-run while changing a flat tire on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway Sunday, police said. When Warrick's daughter reported the incident to 911, the operator asked her to speak more clearly.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, February 4, 2015, 1:37 PM
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A Maryland 911 dispatcher told a teen girl to "stop whining" after she witnessed a car fatally hit her father.
The girl called for help after her father, Rick Warrick, 38, and his fiancée, Julia Pearce, 28, were struck in a hit-and-run Sunday, NBC 4 reported.
The couple had been changing a flat tire on the shoulder of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway near Route 197 when the car plowed into them at about 9 p.m., police said.
Warrick's son and daughter, who had been inside the car, were not hit. The family had been on its way to Dave & Buster's in the Arundel Mills mall.
The daughter dialed 911 and spoke quickly, making it difficult to understand her, according to the tape obtained by NBC4.
"Can you all please hurry up!" the girl pleaded to the dispatcher.
"Ma'am, stop yelling. I need a location," the operator responded.
The girl tried to tell him what happened, but the dispatcher could not make out what she said.
"OK, let's stop whining. OK, let's stop whining. It's hard to understand you... two people were struck, correct?" the operator said.
Meanwhile, Warrick, a Washington, D.C., car salesman, was struggling to breathe. He would later die at the scene.
Pearce was suffering from a fractured skull, broken pelvis and broken legs.
An Anne Arundel County Fire Department spokesman said the operator could have tried a more fitting approach during the call.
"There could be a better choice of words," Russ Davies told NBC 4. "However, what he was attempting to do was get her attention to start ascertaining information from her."
Pearce is in serious condition at the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, according to a family statement.
Her injuries are not life-threatening, CBS Baltimore reported.
Police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver. They ask anyone with information to call 202-610-8737.
