Transcript of Emergency Call

The following is a transcript of the Aug. 23 311 nonemergency telephone call by a San Jose woman reporting a mattress in the northbound lanes of California 85. Less than a half-hour later, a passenger died in an accident when his station wagon struck the mattress.

Dispatcher: San Jose Police . . .

Kim Taylor: Um, yes. I wanted to report that there is a mattress in the middle of a freeway. Cars are dodging it left and right.

Dispatcher: In the middle of the freeway?

Taylor: In the middle of the freeway on . . .

Dispatcher: OK. You’ll have to call the Highway Patrol for that.

Taylor: (Sighs) Why don’t you call them for me? Or otherwise, I’ll just leave the mattress in the middle of the freeway. I mean, it’s 85! Highway 85!

Dispatcher: Is there a reason why you’re so upset?

Taylor: Well, you took me forever to get through. And people are dodging this mattress, and I just wanted to maybe . . .

Dispatcher: OK. But what I’m telling you, ma’am, is that the San Jose Police do not respond to the freeway. It is the Highway Patrol’s jurisdiction. I’d be more than happy to give you the number, if you’d like.

Taylor: Never mind. I’ll just let somebody get killed. (Hangs up.)