Christy Pennington, Ester Fire Department, March 15, 1991
Christine “Christy” Pennington
Emergency Medical Technician
Ester Volunteer Fire Department
Died: March 15, 1991
Christine Pennington will always be remembered at a cheerful, energetic, loving and helpful friend. She and her young son Johnathan Patterson died early one March evening outside Fairbanks in a vehicle accident as she was responding to a emergency call of a man complaining of chest pain.
The following is excerpts from the Fairbanks News Miner regarding the incident.
While driving toward Ester, the 20 year old Pennington lost control of her personal vehicle, a recent model Ford Bronco, and “collided” with an on coming pickup truck on the Parks Highway.
Pennington was not theonly one responding to the Ester medical emergency. She was followed closely on the Parks Highway by a Chena Goldstream Fire Department ambulance, whose medical technicians attended her and the baby. Pennington remained pinned in the crushed car for several minutes.
Teary eyed firefighters and medics from the Ester Fire Department haunted the halls of the hospital for most of the evening and later into the night (after Pennington was transported). Some hugged and others cried while waiting for a verdict from the doctors trying to keep one of theirs alive.
The chain of events started with a 911 call from a man on Ester Creek Road in Ester, who complained of shortness of breath and chest pains. The man was eventually taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
Pennington carried a fire department radio with her since she joined two years ago, heard the call for help at about 6:15 pm. She placed her baby in the Bronco, slapped a blue light on the roof of her car, strapped on her seat belt and proceded toward Ester on the Parks Highway.
It was during the response, Christy lost control of her Bronco and the accident occurred. She died the next day from internal injuries.
Christy was engage to marry Johnnie Patterson, a 20 year old firefighter, that year in August. At the time of her death she was survived by her parents Henry and Janet Pennington of Kodiak; her sister Linda, and grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great grand parents.