A man who rescued a family from its overturned vehicle after an accident was rewarded for his selfless service with a first-responder bill.
Derrick Deanda pulled a man and his three children from their van in Elk Grove, California, in September 2015 after it toppled over. Paramedics with Cosumnes Community Services District took Mr. Deanda’s pulse and gave him a bottle of water during the ordeal — and then billed him $143.
“I pulled up right as it happened. There was a guy standing inside the van, because it was on its side, holding a 2 year-old infant,” the hero told a local CBS affiliate on Monday. “I mean why would I want to stop to help somebody if I’m going to get a bill for $150?”
Deputy Chief Mike McLaughlin told the station that officials had no choice but to bill the good Samaritan.
“We’re obligated to provide the same level of service, the same billing the same everything, for every patient we encounter,” Mr. McLaughlin said, although he added that Mr. Deanda was in a “unique” situation. “In my 28 years, this is my first time I’ve run into a situation similar to this.”