A quadriplegic man died from a urinary tract infection last December after he was unable to find a wheelchair-accessible taxi to take him home to Copper Ridge Place.

The Yukon’s chief coroner released her report into the death of 44-year-old Ronald Itsi this week.

An autopsy found that the infection, caused by his catheter, led to his death.

Alcohol and anti-depressants were contributing factors.

Itsi injured his spinal cord in a fall in 2011.

As a result of the catheter he had to use, he had frequent urinary tract infections.

At about 6 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2014, Itsi signed out from Copper Ridge Place, and a friend picked him up.

Itsi’s intention was to return home that night, coroner Kirsten Macdonald writes in her report.

Later in the evening, friends made several phone calls to Whitehorse-area taxi companies to find a wheelchair-accessible one that could take Itsi home.

None were available.

Having a friend drive him home wasn’t an option, Macdonald said.

So Itsi spent the night at his friend’s house on Wann Road in Porter Creek.

At about 9:30 the next morning, he was found cold and unresponsive in his wheelchair.

It’s unknown whether Itsi would have survived the infection if he’d been able to return home, Macdonald writes.

She notes the residence’s nursing staff are “highly qualified” and have experience dealing with UTIs.

Had the nurses recognized the symptoms, they would have contacted the physician, who likely would have taken a urine sample and ordered an antibiotic, Macdonald writes.

“Urinary tract infections are usually treated with antibiotics as prescribed by a physician,” she states.

Although Itsi had planned on returning home that night, there were no plans made in advance by Itsi or Copper Ridge staff to ensure he had a ride home.

“In order to request a wheelchair accessible taxi on Dec. 7, 2014, a person would have had to make the arrangements in advance and pay a premium for the service,” the report states.

“This service is offered by a contractor through a local taxi company and the hours of availability are inconsistent and somewhat unreliable.”

The Handy Bus, a service for people who are unable to use regular transit, doesn’t operate on Sundays. Dec. 7, 2014, was a Sunday.

Besides these two options, there are currently no wheelchair-accessible taxis in the city.

“This is exactly why we have it in the (draft) bylaw,” bylaw manager Dave Pruden told the Star this morning.

Earlier this year, Whitehorse city staff put forward the document, proposing that taxi companies be required to have at least one wheelchair-accessible vehicle.

Pruden said this was a response to input from the public and the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee.

Drivers have complained about what this might cost, arguing it was impractical and unnecessary for each company to have one when demand is low.

But Pruden said estimates from Vancouver show a conversion kit costs about $11,000, lower than the $20,000-plus taxi drivers cited.

These would fit into van cabs and still allow the vehicle to be used to transport people who aren’t in wheelchairs, Pruden said.

“It’s fully functional; you just lose the back seat, which is where the person would ride if they were in a wheelchair,” he said.

“It’s still a normal taxi taking normal fares.”

The draft bylaw will come before council again on June 22.

According to the U.S. organization Sepsis Alliance, UTIs are a common infection treated easily and quickly with antibiotics. But when untreated, they can spread to the kidney and lead to sepsis, or blood poisoning.

UTI symptoms include pain while urinating, lower abdominal pain and a fever.

The Department of Health and Social Services, which runs Copper Ridge Place, did not respond to questions before press time this afternoon.