An Overworked Nurse Accidentally Drove Off The Top Floor Of A Parking Garage In Boston

David Prahl  - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only
David Prahl - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

In May, a nurse from Boston sustained multiple injuries after accidentally driving off the top floor of a parking garage at the hospital where she worked.

According to a report from the Boston Police Department, the incident occurred around 1:30 in the morning at Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain.

Officers found a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with severe damage next to the parking garage. In addition, there was a piece of railing from the roof of the garage. They concluded that the vehicle had plunged through the top of the parking garage.

The woman behind the wheel was left with a broken arm and back, as well as leg injuries after the crash.

She was a nurse and a member of the Faulkner Hospital Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) bargaining unit. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, where she stayed for several days.

On the day of the accident, she had finished her shift and was on call at 11 p.m. She told the police that she had decided to sleep in her car instead of going home.

Around one in the morning, she woke up to move her vehicle because the overhead lights were shining in her eyes.

However, she mistakenly hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes, causing her car to go head-first over the edge of the parking garage’s top floor.

Before the vehicle landed on the ground below, she had attempted to put the car in reverse and back up, but she was unsuccessful. The incident is currently under investigation.

David Prahl – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

A spokesperson with Mass General Brigham stated that “it is against policy for employees to sleep in their cars at the hospital,” adding that on-call nurses who don’t want to go home should be offered an on-call room.

The incident occurred shortly after the results of a survey from MNA were released. The survey showed that more and more nurses are leaving their jobs due to the stress and exhaustion of being overworked. One of the main issues facing the profession is burnout.

In a 2022 study of over 50,000 nurses, more than 45 percent experienced feelings of burnout several times throughout the week.

Studies have also shown that long shifts at nighttime can contribute to a higher risk of car accidents.

Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.

Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

More About: