However, in actual usage in the News, I believe it is much more often used to describe that the patient was ‘pronounced dead upon arrival to the Hospital’. I would guess because the field people are trained to save lives and transport the victims to better care when they are unable to. Thus they are reluctant (and indeed some of them are unqualified) to pronounce the victim officially ‘dead’.

In fact, the very same Wikipedia article that I quoted, continues the definition with the following remark: “In some jurisdictions, first responders must consult verbally with a physician before officially pronouncing a patient deceased, but once cardiopulmonary resuscitation is initiated, it must be continued until a physician can pronounce the patient dead.”

One can’t be Dead On Arrival(at a hospital)at the scene.