A Maryland 911 dispatcher is under review for telling a distressed teen to "stop whining" as her father lay dying on the Baltimore Washington Parkway.
On Sunday night, Rick Warrick, his fiancée and their two teenage children were on their way to Dave & Buster's for dinner when their Hyundai Excel got a flat tire along the parkway in Anne Arundel County, Fox News reported. After stepping out on the shoulder lane to change the tire, the 38-year-old was fatally struck and his fiancée injured in a hit-and-run accident.
Immediately after the accident, a 911 tape reveals the teen's call to the 911 dispatcher, where he told the victim's daughter to "stop whining," according to the U.S. Park Police.
The operator apparently had some trouble hearing Warrick's daughter while she attempted to provide the specific location along the highway, Sgt. Lelani Woods said.
"Can y'all please hurry up?" the teen says.
The 911 operator, who was not identified, responds, "Ma'am stop yelling. I need a location."
As the teen explains that two people have been struck, the operator cuts her off and is heard saying, "OK, let's stop whining. OK, let's stop whining. It's hard to understand you."
Following the incident, the dispatcher has been reassigned to a position where he "will not have contact with the public" since his conduct did not meet expectations, authorities said.
"The operator used a poor choice of words," said Russ Davis of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. "However, what he was attempting to do was to get her attention, to start ascertaining information from her."
Meanwhile, the driver who struck Warrick and his fiancée, 28-year-old Julia Pearce, near their 2007 maroon Hyundai has not come forward yet, NBC reported.
U.S. Park Police are asking for anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has any information about the accident to call 202-610-8737202-610-8737.
You can listen to the 911 call over here.
