Mountain View Fire Department offers helping hand after resident was struck by a car

Recovering from serious injuries after a car accident can be hard enough, but for Mountain View resident Kevin Perez Ramos, just getting to the doctor was a challenge.

Ramos found himself in a tough spot: He lives in a second-story apartment and, due to his injuries, couldn’t get up and down the stairs. In other words, he had no way to get to the doctor for post-surgical care and missed three appointments as a result.

Dave Arnone, a resident and nonprofit volunteer familiar with the situation, said Ramos was struck by a car while crossing the street and suffered debilitating injuries including multiple leg fractures and internal organ damage. He underwent orthopedic surgery and spent 10 days in the hospital.

Where things got tricky, Arnone said, was a gap in Medi-Cal coverage for services that left Ramos stranded. Due to what he described as “administrative hurdles,” Ramos’ medical care and transportation home was covered, but transportation for post-operative care was not.

Ramos’ family reached out to the nonprofit Hope’s Corner for help, and eventually found transportation through the Mountain View-based United Effort Organization (UEO). But that still didn’t get him with a big obstacle.

“Kevin lives in an apartment with 19 concrete stairs up to his unit,” Arnone said in an email. “While we … were able to provide transportation we had no way to safely get him in his post-surgical condition up and down the stairs.”

Seeking a solution to the logistical challenge, Arnone reached out to city officials and linked up with Fire Capt. Melton Wong for assistance. Using a fire department transport chair, fire personnel were able to get Ramos down the stairs and off to the doctor, where he got his sutures removed and X-rays taken of his injuries, according to Claire Hubel, volunteer and co-founder of United Effort. The fire department helped Ramos back up the stairs on his return.

Hope’s Corner serves as a congregate meal service for homeless and needy residents in the community, operated out of Trinity United Methodist Church. Over time the program has helped connect clients to other social services as well, and the United Effort Organization has since launched as an offshoot of Hope’s Corner for those who need help ‘beyond a meal,’ Hubel said.

Protesters show up for back-to-back anti-ICE protests in Mountain View, Palo AltoJanuary 24, 2026 3:50 pm

Lane closures planned this weekend for El Camino Real overpass in Mountain ViewJanuary 23, 2026 1:32 pm

Mountain View planning commission backs 8-story apartment buildingJanuary 22, 2026 2:01 pm