Murphy v. City of Petaluma

BACKGROUND

In February 2020, Murphy was involved in a head-on car collision in Petaluma. Fire Department Captain Jude Prokop and engineer Shay Burke, both licensed paramedics, responded to the scene. When they arrived, the two drivers were out of their vehicles and walking around. Prokop was responsible for initially managing the accident scene and dealing with the individuals involved. He asked Murphy if she was involved in the collision and whether she was hurt or needed medical assistance. Murphy confirmed she was involved in the collision but stated she was not hurt and did not want or need medical assistance. Burke then spoke with Murphy. Like Prokop, Burke asked Murphy questions to determine her involvement in the collision and whether she needed medical assistance. Murphy again confirmed she was the driver of one of the vehicles, stated she was not hurt, and repeated she did not want or need medical assistance. Although Murphy appeared annoyed that Burke was not attending to the other driver who was obviously injured, Burke told her she needed to speak to him. In response to additional questions, Murphy told Burke she had not hit her head during the collision, did not lose…