Louisville man dies after 9-minute ambulance delay in Washington, DC apartment

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville man died after suffering cardiac arrest in his Washington, D.C., apartment just steps from a firehouse, sparking questions about the city’s 911 response. His family in Kentucky is now questioning the city’s emergency response.

William Ostertag, 28, collapsed during a workout at his apartment in November 2024. According to a lawsuit filed Tuesday, it took nine minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

The complaint alleges 911 dispatchers misclassified the call and sent a unit not equipped with the medications Ostertag needed.

The city has refused to release the 911 call itself, citing a policy that only allows the original caller access.

"My vibrant son died, and people with power are saying I did not have the right to hear what was happening as he lay on the ground," said Stephanie Clemans, Ostertag’s mother.

The family is seeking to determine whether errors in dispatch or emergency response contributed to his death.

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