Suit claims Utah providers fatally injected teen with large ketamine dose after car crash

Video evidence from the 2021 scene reportedly captured a provider saying, "She gave her the whole d*** thing . . . She wasn't supposed to give her that much."

By Leila MerrillEMS1

MURRAY, Utah — The parents of a 19-year-old woman who died after a head-on collision in 2021 filed a lawsuit against seven Utah agencies plus individual first responders, Fox13 reported Tuesday.

The complaint alleges that Gwendolyn Doner, 19, of Casper, Wyo., was injected with 500 milligrams of ketamine by the first responders on the scene, which is reportedly over 16 times the maximum dosage authorized by the state and county.

The lawsuit filed by her parents, Brett Doner and Heather Myers, further claims that the first responders failed to give Doner bag-valve-mask ventilation, causing a fatal anoxic brain injury.

Doner was pronounced dead at the Intermountain Health Center in Murray around 29 hours later.

The plaintiffs also allege that EMS providers concealed the ketamine overdose, respiratory arrest and the anoxic brain injury Doner suffered, even after confirming and documenting the brain injury as her cause of death, ABC4 reported.

Video evidence reportedly shows a provider at the crash site saying, "I gave her 500 of ketamine. I told her what it was. She gave her the whole d*** thing . . . She wasn't supposed to give her that much."

The driver who caused the wrong-way crash, Justin Wayne Robertson, 36, was convicted of murder and nine other charges in 2021. A probable cause statement states Robertson admitted to using methamphetamine "10 to 30 minutes prior to the crash."

The defendants listed in the lawsuit include the following agencies: Intermountain Healthcare, Intermountain Life Flight, Murray City, Murray City Fire Department, Gold Cross Ambulance, United Fire Authority and Utah Highway Patrol.

FOX 13 contacted all the defendants. Many said they cannot comment on pending litigation.

6 ways to avoid ketamine pitfalls

Communicating with law enforcement and following these clinical guidelines will help to keep patient safety first and foremost