Nursing CE Central
On Sunday, July 23rd a nurse was killed by an oncoming car while saving an escaped patient. The nurse, Latrice Jones also known as Pebbles died at the hospital.
Nurse Pebbles celebrated her 42nd birthday earlier this month on July 10th. She is survived by her three children, Amil, Kevin, and Kristain who is just seven months old.
Her life and memory are honored by all of the friends and family who recognize the sacrifice Nurse Pebbles made. Family friend Tameka long said that “with Pebbles, her heart is so big and that’s how she passed away, caring for somebody else.”
At 10 pm on Sunday, a combative patient at Majestic Care of Livonia walked out of the facility, crossed four lanes of traffic, and laid down in the middle of a bust street. 42-year-old Nurse Pebbles alongside some of her colleagues followed the escaped patient and helped them into a wheelchair.
Police had been notified of this incident but did not arrive until after the facility’s staff stepped up to save the patient.
While attempting to get the escaped patient back into the facility, an 80-year-old woman driving westbound swerved to avoid hitting the patient and instead struck Nurse Pebbles along with two parked cars. One witness to the accident said the car was going at least 45mph when it hit Nurse Pebbles (45mph is the speed limit at this location).
Nurse Pebbles died from her injuries that night at the hospital.
The driver has fully cooperated with police investigation and no alcohol is thought to be involved in this tragedy. The driver suffered minor injuries in the accident.
CEO at Majestic Care, Paul D. Pruitt provided a statement on the accident, “it is with profound grief and immense sympathy that we mourn the unfortunate passing of a valued care team member of Majestic Care… Our thoughts and prayers are with the Care Team member’s family, friends, and colleagues as they cope with this unimaginable loss. She was an amazing caregiver that provided exceptional care to residents and created magic for all those around her.”
In an effort to maintain a safe and secure work environment, Majestic Care is offering grief counseling for affected staff and residents.
Not everyone believes Majestic Care is doing enough in the wake of this tragedy. Friend and colleague of Nurse Pebbles spoke out on Facebook, “It’s absolutely disgusting to hear that Majestic Care in Livonia is saying as of now they will not be covering her funeral costs.” She continued on, “We are on the front lines EVERYDAY, being under appreciated by these facilities. This wasn’t even her patient that ended up causing her to lose her life. Even if she has life insurance that money should go directly to her babies.”
There is no information available about how this patient managed to escape from Majestic Care. Had anything happened to the patient the long-term care facility would have been open to a wrongful death suit. This was prevented by Nurse Pebbles’ sacrifice, making the alleged claims against the facility all the more concerning.
Many friends and colleagues have taken to social media to voice their love and honor the memory of Nurse Pebbles. “Pebbles was a genuine woman with a heart of gold. She went above and beyond not only for her children but the ones she loved.” “To know pebbs was to love her!
One fellow nurse, Shonte Lyles, posted a video expressing how the memory of Nurse Pebbles “should be treasured.” Nurse Pebbles “worked long hours and many days to ensure that she provided for her three children and her family.”
It was important for me to tell her story and to get it aired to make people aware of the sacrifices that are made by nurses that work outside the hospital setting in long-term care environments that lack the security or support of the residents and staff.
– Shonte Lyles
The community has come together to host a Spaghetti Luncheon for Nurse Pebbles to celebrate her life and collect donations for her family. Donations include school supplies for her two eldest children. Additionally, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up in memory of Latrice Jones to help support her surviving children.
Nurses should never be in a position where their lives are jeopardized while working. This incident is a tragedy on multiple levels, and it’s natural to question every part involved with the hope of preventing something like this from happening again.
Our hearts here at Nursing CE Central go out to Nurse Pebbles and her surviving family. At this time, it’s important to recognize nurses and their continued sacrifices in the pursuit of patient care.
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