Video, 911 call in Milwaukee bus stop death raise more questions about what happened
Two weeks after a South Milwaukee woman died of hypothermia at a bus stop in subzero temperatures, more information is being released about her death — but the questions about what happened that afternoon are only mounting.
The details of what happened to Jolene Waldref, 49, on Jan. 15 have shifted as a redacted version of her 911 call has been released, as well as surveillance video from the busy intersection where she died.
Milwaukee Fire Department officials and leaders of the private Curtis Ambulance service are facing backlash after they revealed a Curtis crew did not get out of their truck to look for Waldref, who was down on the sidewalk just feet from where they drove past.
The following timeline pieces together what we know so far. It's based on accounts from Curtis Ambulance President Jim Baker; Vice President Dan Robakowski; Assistant Milwaukee Fire Chief Joshua Parish; a report from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office; surveillance footage obtained from a nearby property owner and reviewed by the Journal Sentinel; redacted incident reports; and redacted audio files of three 911 calls.
Updates from initial accounts of the incident — including that Waldref fell and hit her head — have been noted.
Waldref, of South Milwaukee, leaves behind two daughters, ages 14 and 21.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Sometime before 5:22 p.m.: Jolene Waldref arrives at bus stop
Jolene Waldref leaves her job as a receptionist at Life Touches Home Healthcare and walks a block and a half to the intersection of North 76th and West Congress streets to reach a bus stop. She's carrying a bag of some kind.
At the time, temperatures at the nearby Timmerman Airport were 2 degrees below zero, with wind chills of minus 20 to minus 21, according to the National Weather Service.
After standing at the corner, near the bus stop, for two minutes, she appears to double over briefly. She sits down, then stands up to lean against the fence. She stands there for three minutes and then sits back down again, mostly disappearing from the camera’s view.
At this point, seven minutes have passed since she approached the street corner.
A report from the medical examiner's office referenced surveillance video viewed by police apparently showing Waldref slipping on ice, falling and hitting her head on a gate. Surveillance footage obtained from a nearby property owner and reviewed by the Journal Sentinel on Wednesday does not show a fall.
5:22 p.m.: Waldref calls 911
Dispatchers with the Milwaukee Police Department's call center take her call. What Waldref tells them has been redacted. The dispatcher transfers her to the Milwaukee Fire Department's call center within a minute.
The dispatcher asks for Waldref's address. She responds: "Oh my god."
The dispatcher asks for Waldref's address twice more. She responds that she's waiting for a bus on the corner of 76th and Congress.
When the dispatcher asks her what happens, she responds: "I don't know."
Waldref's response to the dispatcher asking why she needs medical help is redacted.
The dispatcher asks if Waldref's breathing is normal, if she has a history of heart problems, and if she has abdominal pain. Waldref's answers are redacted.
The call ends with the dispatcher telling Waldref: "The ambulance is on the way. In the meantime, do your best not to move around. Just try to rest in the most comfortable position for you. Make sure to wave down the help when you see them. ... Help is on the way."
5:23 p.m.: Milwaukee Fire Department send Curtis Ambulance to look for Waldref
MFD dispatchers give the call a low priority, which means an ambulance from the private Curtis Ambulance service is dispatched to the intersection to look for Waldref, rather than the fire department.
And though Milwaukee Fire Department call logs accessed Wednesday include the exact latitude and longitude of Waldref's 911 call — placing her at the northwest corner — it does not appear that information was relayed to the ambulance service.
During this time, Waldref is on the ground and appears to be moving as countless cars drive by.
5:27 p.m.: Curtis ambulance crew drives by looking for Waldref
A Curtis ambulance crew drives past, eastbound on West Congress Street.
Waldref appears to move again.
The ambulance makes a U-turn and drives through the intersection again, heading west, this time on Waldref’s side of the street. About two minutes passed since the ambulance first went through the intersection.
The ambulance does not appear to slow down as it passes within 20 to 30 feet of Waldref.
Off camera, the ambulance stops some distance down the street. Two workers inside of it, one with two years of experience and another with 12, call the dispatch center and say they don't see Waldref. They do not exit the ambulance to look for her.
5:29 p.m.: A dispatcher calls Waldref's cellphone
The call goes straight to voicemail. The dispatcher waits two minutes.
5:31 p.m.: Another call to Waldref
The dispatcher tries her phone again, and it again goes to voicemail. The ambulance crew "clears" the call and leaves the scene.
Approximately 5:34 p.m.: Bystander walks past Waldref
Almost three minutes later, a pedestrian walks by Waldref, taking notice of her there but not stopping. They continue on through the intersection, walking east.
5:43 p.m.: A bystander calls 911
About eight minutes after the ambulance drove by Waldref a second time, a vehicle makes a left turn onto Congress Street, heading west, and notices Waldref. The driver backs up to park near the intersection.
The driver walks over to Waldref, bends down to check on her, then stands and appears to call 911. A dispatch report obtained by the Journal Sentinel shows a call was received at 5:43 p.m.
This time, the call has a higher priority and paramedics from the Milwaukee Fire Department are sent to the scene.
The dispatcher asks about Waldref's condition and whether she's breathing, but many of the answers are redacted.
Two more people run over about two minutes after the driver pulled over. Another 911 call is made at 5:47 p.m. A dispatcher tells them there is an ongoing call related to the incident, and the call ends.
5:52 p.m.: Milwaukee Fire Department paramedics arrive
The paramedics who arrive at the scene try to revive Waldref, but cannot.
6:13 p.m.: Waldref is pronounced dead at the scene.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Timeline of Milwaukee bus stop death, 911 call, ambulance response
