A parking company has apologized after fining a woman whose car remained in a supermarket parking lot while she suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital.
The 54-year-old collapsed outside a New World supermarket in Orewa, Auckland, in July. Her heart stopped, and a stranger performed chest compressions until her pulse returned and paramedics arrived.
She was taken to hospital by ambulance, leaving her car behind for around five and a half hours. The parking area, however, had a 90-minute limit.
Smart Compliance Management, which operates the supermarket’s parking system, issued her an $80 fine. After her family explained the medical emergency, the company reduced the charge to a $30 administration fee instead of cancelling it completely.
The woman paid the fee, but the supermarket later refunded the money.
Smart Compliance Management has since apologized, saying it failed to properly consider the exceptional circumstances surrounding the incident.
The company said it has now reinforced its procedures and provided additional guidance to staff for handling unusual cases.
The supermarket owner also said the customer and her family were understandably upset and that the situation had ultimately been resolved appropriately.