Honorees

← Back to directory

Year Honored
1997
Honoree
Bryan W Allred
Agency
Vencor Hospital, LaGrange County EMS
Agency City
LaGrange
Agency State
IN
Last Call
12/21/96
Cause of Death
Ambulance Involved MVC
Biography
It wasn't clear why Jeffrey Hill lost control of his car and hit a tree at 3:40 a.m. Saturday morning, December 21,1996. But it was Bryan Allred's job to help him. Allred, 30, father of two daughters, ages 4 and 6, was probably asleep when he heard the emergency call. He was working a 24-hour shift and was due to go home in three hours. The rescue crew stabilized Mr. Hill and the ambulance left the accident scene en route to the hospital. Paramedic Bryan Allred was in the back taking care of the patient. He never saw the car that crossed over the centerline and smashed head-on into the ambulance. It was 4:25 a.m.; Bryan was dead within 30 minutes.<br /> <br /> The car-ambulance crash that took Bryan's life also claimed the lives of five others, including the EMT driver of the ambulance, rescue volunteer Laura Halsey, and the stillborn son of pregnant EMT, Natalie Kocher. Christmas in LaGrange lost much of its cheer in 1996.<br /> <br /> Bryan Allred had been with Vencor Hospital LaGrange for nine years. In 1996 alone, Bryan had responded to 309 ambulance calls. Randy Perkins, Allred's supervisor, told the hundreds of friends, family and emergency workers gathered at his funeral about Allred's extraordinary gift of teaching, his endless compassion and his die-hard dedication. "Any night. Any time of day. He responded. On his days off, he was often the second rescue worker responding to an emergency call...Mary, Samantha, Emily (wife, daughters)...we know he was your hero. He's ours too."<br /> <br /> Bryan Allred was then placed in LaGrange County EMS Ambulance 1546, as public safety workers saluted and stood at attention. Even the falling snow on parkas could be heard.<br /> <br /> Honored 1997