FORT WORTH, Texas — Updated at 12:30 p.m. on May 9 with a statement from Thyssenkrupp
"Brake failure" from a lack of maintenance caused the elevator accident that seriously injured a nurse in January at John Peter Smith Hospital, hospital officials said Wednesday.
A full report by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation was released Wednesday.
The nurse, Carren Stratford, remained in a coma for 15 days after the Jan. 20 incident when she was crushed by an elevator that didn't stop.
"The worn brake shoes and frozen pins illustrated a lack of routine maintenance and equipment checks," the report says.
The hospital fired its elevator maintenance company, Thyssenkrupp, in March.
Southwest Elevator has been hired to take over elevator maintenance at the hospital, officials announced this week.
Hospital officials said the state report found that the brake shoes on the elevator were "worn down."
The report also says that the code at the time the elevator was installed did not require an emergency brake.
"It is imperative that proper maintenance be performed on an elevator system of this vintage," the report says.
Stratford suffered hypoxic brain damage after she was crushed by the elevator.
On Thursday, Thyssenkrup sent WFAA a statement in response to the investigation:
“We have reviewed the state’s preliminary report and appreciate TDLR’s investigation of the tragic accident that occurred at JPS Hospital on January 20, 2019. From the beginning, we have been focused on determining the cause of this accident and ensuring this never happens again. We remain deeply committed to the safety of the riding public as well as the recovery of Nurse Carren Stratford. As our internal investigation of the incident is ongoing, and given the sensitivity of the matter, we will not be commenting further moving forward.”