Scott Ramon Parizek

A Ruthville man charged with negligent homicide and providing false information to law enforcement has pleaded not guilty at his preliminary hearing and arraignment.

Appearing in district court in Minot on Thursday, Scott Ramon Parizek, 33, was arrested in March 2023 after an investigation into his actions following a motor vehicle accident last August that led to the eventual death of a woman, 28, the court is calling Jane Doe.

Appearing before district court Judge Todd Cresap, Taylor Schiller, an investigator from the Ward County Sheriff’s Department, laid out the timeline of the investigation and of Parizek’s actions and movements after the accident occurred.

Investigators found several inconsistencies within Parizek’s own statements to law enforcement that they say were contradicted by witness testimony and security camera footage.

Parizek told investigators that he took Doe directly to the hospital after she sustained her injuries. However, Schiller said this was directly contradicted by security camera footage taken outside his apartment that showed him stopping at home first. Parizek was captured on surveillance footage from the Trinity Emergency Room leaving Doe in his vehicle as he spoke to Trinity staff.

Schiller testified that Parizek allegedly began downplaying her injuries after being told by ER admissions that law enforcement would have to be contacted if she was treated at the ER, telling the nurses that Doe was alert, that her injuries weren’t severe, and that he was EMT-certified and would be monitoring her. Schiller testified there was no evidence that this was true.

Parizek would then return with Doe to his apartment behind Spicy Pie, bringing her inside while telling witnesses that the hospital turned her away for treatment. It would be several hours before another individual arrived and demanded she be taken to the ER, where she was treated extensively before succumbing to her injuries on Aug. 19.

Schiller testified that he interviewed Dr. Charles Wood, the neurosurgeon who performed surgery on Doe and diagnosed her head injury as a subdermal hematoma. Schiller then introduced the window of opportunity for treatment of severe head injuries called “the Golden Hour,” after which there can be significant irreversible damage or death of the brain.

Wood determined the amount of blood lost by Doe to be about six units, according to the probable cause affidavit, which was nearly half of the normal level of blood for someone her age. Schiller said a luminol test was performed on Parizek’s Isuzu Rodeo that revealed the presence of a significant amount of blood in the passenger and back seats.

Parizek’s court-appointed attorney Steven Mottinger questioned Schiller briefly, clarifying that the charges were not related to the question of how the accident occurred, but rather that Parizek had failed to render appropriate medical aid. Mottinger also pressed Schiller regarding why Trinity ER staff didn’t investigate Jane Doe’s injuries when she was first brought there. Schiller responded by saying Jane Doe was out of their view and reiterated that Parizek had told them she was alert and speaking.

Assistant State’s Attorney Tiffany Sorgen urged the court to arraign Parizek on the charges, saying his actions directly prevented Doe from receiving necessary medical care and that the state met the burden of proof required to move forward.

“An individual who observes someone in a motor vehicle incident having a head injury that resulted in the kinds of injuries that Dr. Wood talked about, resulting in the loss of almost half of her blood volume, would have taken someone in for medical care immediately, and would not have had an issue with the fact that law enforcement should have been called,” Sorgen said. “All of this is just such a gross deviation from the standard of care, and this resulted in the death of Jane Doe.”

Mottinger responded by saying that given the state’s theory of the case, it is a better fit for civil rather than criminal court. He said Parizek had ultimately been the person to deliver Jane Doe to the hospital, and that the case should be dismissed.

“This is an unusual case. The hospital took no steps to go out and check on Jane Doe even though she was in the emergency entry area of the hospital,” Mottinger said. “In this case it is a real reach to find that Mr. Parizek has committed any criminal violation. Your definition of negligence is not enough to establish probable cause.”

Sorgen rebutted, saying that the state was not asserting that Parizek had a duty to render aid but that he did have the opportunity to not frustrate or prevent her from receiving care.

“He was the one who made the decision not to bring her all the way into the hospital because he didn’t want the police involved. He prevented Jane Doe from receiving care during that critical golden hour that Dr. Wood told detective Schiller about,” Sorgen said. “He said, ‘She’s not that bad. I’ll take care of it. I’m EMT-certified,’ which he was not. He prevented her from receiving treatment for four hours and is ultimately responsible for her death.”

Cresap acknowledged that there were civil aspects to the case but ruled that Parizek would be arraigned for the Class C felony and A misdemeanor due to significant factual basis. Cresap also denied a request to adjust Parizek’s bail, which was set at $50,000 bond at his initial appearance.

“One of the purposes of bail is to ensure the safety of the community. When Mr. Parizek is out, he has proven that this community is not safe, just given his history of convictions. I’m not talking about charges; I’m talking about convictions. I’m leaving the bond where it is,” Cresap said.

Parizek’s next court date is a pretrial conference, set for July 5.