Why Ride '08... Tree Marsoobian

Arriving in Roanoke last year after the six day trek from NYC, my mom asked me if I would do the ride again knowing how difficult it was. We both knew she had the answer to that question before the ride ever even began…

Over the last month, the 2007 Texas Team has had the honor of being invited to the Marble Falls Area EMS Christmas party where they presented us a plaque. We were also awarded at the Annual Hill Country 100 Club for our accomplishment. The recognition was very much unexpected but appreciated. It is important through this event to raise awareness locally and on a national level of line of duty deaths, especially here in Central Texas where they are, thankfully, such a rare occurrence.

This is still why I ride...

There is a special bond created, in my opinion, to those you share an experience such as paramedic school. Eric was one of those individuals for me. Eric was one of the quieter in our class but his strong drive to help others was quite evident. He was extremely unique in his demeanor and his compassion for others and life was unlike any other.

The morning of October 10, 2006, I was getting off of work. We had received a page shortly before leaving the station stating an ambulance MVA in Travis County did not involve one of our (A/TCEMS) ambulances. The off-going and on-coming crews were both watching the TV at the station to see exactly what EMS service was involved in the accident. The news report stated that there was an accident working in southwest Travis County of a Marble Falls ambulance and a pick-up truck. They went on to further state that one of the paramedics in the ambulance had died on scene. The overwhelming sense of tragedy that one feels over an accident like this is beyond words, not only for it to be a fatality but a line of duty death of a fellow paramedic. It was during my drive home when I was calling several of my friends that worked out in Marble Falls that I learned Eric was the driver that had been killed and another friend of mine, Kyla Wilson (the paramedic passenger), was being rushed to the trauma center in Austin. The driver of the pick-up truck died later that morning in the emergency room. Almost a year and a half later, Kyla now lives in Portland, OR, with hopes to be at this year's ride. Her therapists and doctors are not sure when she will be able to return to work on an ambulance again but this year holds a lot of hope for the future.

Approximately a week after Eric’s funeral, I was reading an issue of JEMS (Journal of Emergency Medical Services) when I came across an article on the EMS Memorial Bike Ride. I have a personal history of coupling passionate social issues with long distance bike riding. So, riding my bike from New York City to Roanoke, VA, in Eric’s memory and to honor him at the EMS Memorial just seems like an appropriate thing to do.