Renowned Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump to represent fallen Atlanta volleyball player

Family of Southwest DeKalb's Amanda Sylvester turns to top attorney in quest for justice

Renowned Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump, shown here during the service of celebration for Ajike \"AJ\" Shantrell Owens at the Meadowbrook Church in June of 2023 in Ocala, has agreed to represent the family of Amanda Sylvester, who on Dec. 5 collapsed at a Greater Atlanta club volleyball practice and later died at an area hospital after an ambulance failed to show. / Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Two weeks to the day since Greater Atlanta’s Amanda Sylvester collapsed in a club volleyball practice and later died at a hospital after an ambulance failed to show, her family has turned to one of the nation’s top attorneys in their quest for justice.

Benjamin Crump, a nationally renowned civil rights attorney known for his work in wrongful death lawsuits, has agreed to represent the family of Sylvester in their case against the City of College Park and Grady County, Ga. Crump’s practice has worked some high-profile cases that include Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tyre Nichols and others.

At the center of the Sylvester lawsuit is the question why a Grady EMS ambulance never showed up for the 15-year-old after she collapsed at a club volleyball practice in College Park on Dec. 5. Although College Park Fire and Rescue emergency personnel responded to the scene, they did not transport the Southwest DeKalb High School student to the hospital because of state licensing rules, according to a report by 11Alive in Atlanta.

Family members and club officials waited for a Grady ambulance for nearly an hour before Amanda’s mother, Barbara Sylvester, decided to load her daughter into her van and transport her to a hospital.

When Amanda arrived at the hospital, she went into cardiac arrest and was revived once before dying. Her death stunned many throughout the Atlanta community and beyond.

“When she got to the hospital, she was still living,” said Crump in a press conference on Thursday that was televised live on his Instagram account. “That tells us if Emergency Rescue Services would have gotten to (Barbara’s) 15-year-old daughter, she would still be with us today.”

Crump appeared with attorneys Adam Malone and Liza Park and family members Barbara Sylvester; Anthony Sylvester, father; and Sarah Prince, godmother; at the press conference.

“This is truly heartbreaking, truly heartbreaking,” Crump said in his opening statement, “that this 15-year-old angel was taken from her family in this manner. And, whether it was the Grady Hospital EMS or the fire and rescue unit from College Park, it appears that there were mistakes from the very start. It appears to be negligence from the very start.

“I mean, to call 911 with a medical emergency of a child and for an ambulance to not show up for almost an hour, that is horrifying for any parent,” Crump said.

Amanda Sylvester, 15, a sophomore at Southwest DeKalb High School, died on Dec. 5 at an area hospital after collapsing at a club volleyball practice and never receiving ambulance transportation. / Dream Chasers Volleyball Club and Athletics

Amanda had gone into physical distress and collapsed during warmups for the Dream Chasers volleyball club at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Complex, according to a story by Atlanta News First.

Although first responders from the College Park Fire Department and other medical services responded quickly, Grady EMS “never fully responded” to a request for an ambulance, according to a statement from College Park officials given to the media.

Sylvester was able to speak to emergency responders at the scene, according to the statement, but the teen never received assistance from an ambulance after repeated calls for help and a long wait.

Dream Chasers Volleyball Club coach Catherine Murray called the ambulance delay “unacceptable,” in an interview with Atlanta News First.

“We have precious lives in our hands, and we’re responsible for these precious lives,” she said. “We have to have a better network and system to protect these kids.”

The absence of an ambulance in an emergency situation has prompted city officials to investigate.

“We are all devastated by this tragic loss of life at such a young age,” Dr. Emmanuel Adediran, College Park’s city manager told Atlanta News First. “Our Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department staff, College Park Fire Rescue as well as the volleyball club coaches, parents and staff followed all protocols related to an injury or health care distress.”

“Our deepest and heartfelt sympathies go out to the young woman’s family, friends and teammates,” city officials added.

In a statement obtained by Atlanta News First, Grady EMS said the initial call was categorized as a situation with “low acuity,” or low severity.

“A College Park Fire unit responded to the scene and was equipped to provide medical care and transport if necessary. Following an update on the patient’s condition, the call was reclassified, and a Grady EMS unit was promptly dispatched,” the ambulance service said. “However, as our unit was en route, College Park Fire determined that additional EMS support was no longer needed due to the patient being transported to the hospital via personal vehicle.”

Poor response times by ambulance in Grady County has been a problem for a while now. Atlanta News First did an investigation in 2022 that showed that Grady’s average monthly response time for critical calls was between 22 and 29 minutes, and between 46 and 89 minutes for less urgent calls, according to state reports.

Former College Park Fire Department Chief Wade Elmore told Atlanta News First in 2023 that an antiquated system that determines proper routing of an ambulance to take a patient to a hospital has eroded response times. Elmore said a patient can be forced to wait for close to an hour before receiving an ambulance from Grady EMS.

“We cannot transport them unless it’s a life-threatening situation,” he said. “... A patient who had mild chest pain, where we had to sit on scene and wait for an ambulance — after 20 minutes or so, conditions changed, the person has gone into cardiac arrest.”

Dream Chasers executive director Collette Bagwell announced that the club has raised more than $17,000 in a gofundme fundraiser on Instagram named “Justice for Amanda.” The club has a goal of $500,000, with all proceeds going toward Amanda’s funeral arrangements, legal fees and any personal needs the family has at this time.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

--- Follow Jeff Gardenour on Twitter @JMarkG1962 or email him at jgardenour1962@gmail.com