Does anyone else see the problem with this?

[medic001918]

Both should be charged with reckless endangerment. The FF for driving excessively fast with his damn family in the car, and the cop for hitting a damn minivan with an idiot running emergent behind the wheel.

I think we need to be careful using words like "running emergent" in this case. Should we even be running "emergent" with our families in the vehcile? If he was in his POV, I'm assuming his flashers (as described in the article) to be his standard four way flashers. This is in no way an emergent response. Even if he was running an emergency light in his POV, they are deemed courtesy lights (at least in CT) and don't give the driver of a vehicle any authority to violate a single traffic law. If he was doing 85 in a 55, that is reckless driving and if a trooper was trying to initiate a traffic stop and he failed to stop then he was evading the officer. The officer did go to extreme measures to end the pursuit and that issue should be addressed as well. The officer may or may not have known who else the guy had in the vehicle with him.

80-85 MPH becomes to fast (legally) when the speed limit on most interstates is 65 (maybe 70) in some areas. Assuming a speed limit of 65, he is traveling +/- 15% over the speed limit. In Connecticut, anything over 20 MPH over the limit and you may be charged with wreckless driving which involves a mandatory loss of license.

I don't condone the actions of either of these guys, but the officer at least had a reason to try to initiate a stop.

Shane

NREMT-P

[Eydawn]

The use of the word "emergent" was sarcasm... sorry... I didn't mean he was in any way officially running "emergent" nor that he had right of way or anything of that sort.

Should have used quotation marks. I'll fix it.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

MI EMT-B

[Jess]

Interesting, This is the county i lived in while i lived in Tennessee. Sounds like something that would happen there.

[scratrat]

I think we need to be careful using words like "running emergent" in this case. Should we even be running "emergent" with our families in the vehcile? If he was in his POV, I'm assuming his flashers (as described in the article) to be his standard four way flashers. This is in no way an emergent response. Even if he was running an emergency light in his POV, they are deemed courtesy lights (at least in CT) and don't give the driver of a vehicle any authority to violate a single traffic law. If he was doing 85 in a 55, that is reckless driving and if a trooper was trying to initiate a traffic stop and he failed to stop then he was evading the officer. The officer did go to extreme measures to end the pursuit and that issue should be addressed as well. The officer may or may not have known who else the guy had in the vehicle with him.

80-85 MPH becomes to fast (legally) when the speed limit on most interstates is 65 (maybe 70) in some areas. Assuming a speed limit of 65, he is traveling +/- 15% over the speed limit. In Connecticut, anything over 20 MPH over the limit and you may be charged with wreckless driving which involves a mandatory loss of license.

I don't condone the actions of either of these guys, but the officer at least had a reason to try to initiate a stop.

Shane

NREMT-P

That was my point as well, the fact that the kids were in the car.

I think the officer got a little carried away, however, if you run, you're done. He didn't know if it was a felon or something, so I can't fault him too much.

But this FF was being an absolute idiot. It sounds like he only had his four ways on not any other lights. And it is that way everywhere else with regards to lights. Did you know that legally the only person allowed to run a red light is the post office if delivering mail, and the military? Cops, ambulance, firetrucks, none of them are allowed to go through a light. Especially not with just a whacker light (blue or red depending on the state). If a cop blows a light on the way to a call, it's his fault. Usually the person he hits happens to be some smuck who doesn't have insurance or something so they get into trouble rather than the cop. Go figure.

[Dustdevil]

It sounds like he only had his four ways on not any other lights. And it is that way everywhere else with regards to lights..

Any agency that does not have very specific, written policy forbidding responses of ANY sort with civilians in the vehicle sucks. It is in the P&P manual of any and every professionally managed agency in the U.S. You just do not do it. Fifteen years ago I attended the funeral of a six month old baby who was killed because of this sort of unprofessional wankerism. Volunteer firemonkey decided she would take the kid she was babysitting with her when her pager went off for a grass fire. She rolled the tanker truck into a tree, where it burned with them both in it. I went to the firefighter's funeral too. It was the most lightly attended fire funeral I have ever attended.

Did you know that legally the only person allowed to run a red light is the post office if delivering mail, and the military? Cops, ambulance, firetrucks, none of them are allowed to go through a light. Especially not with just a whacker light (blue or red depending on the state.

Yes, and if you drop a bottle of Nitro Stat in the back of your ambulance.... never mind. :roll:

[Asysin2leads]

-5 points for quoting "common knowledge" as actual fact. If you'd like to discuss local traffic laws and the judciary system, please, quote your state statutes and/or local ordinances. Can anyone specifically tell me where it says "only them letter carriers can run red lights"? Where did this come from? I'm curious now.

Okay, lets not hijack the thread. Back on topic. Firemonkey: dumb, very dumb, the only thing that would have made it better if the "emergency transport" was a 42 year old with abdominal pain. No, no, no, no, wait, vollies usually don't get all riled up over abdominal pain. Ten dollars said it was a pediatric call. Them boys go crazy everytime they hear a peds run.

[akflightmedic]

But this FF was being an absolute idiot. It sounds like he only had his four ways on not any other lights. And it is that way everywhere else with regards to lights. Did you know that legally the only person allowed to run a red light is the post office if delivering mail, and the military? Cops, ambulance, firetrucks, none of them are allowed to go through a light. Especially not with just a whacker light (blue or red depending on the state). If a cop blows a light on the way to a call, it's his fault. Usually the person he hits happens to be some smuck who doesn't have insurance or something so they get into trouble rather than the cop. Go figure.

I can not believe people still believe these urban legends. Not only are you incorrect, you did not even have the story right. You are supposed to ask who has the right of way..see here http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/fourway.asp

Oh well....

[paramedicmike]

Speaking of getting the information right with regards to the story, does anyone know what the local police procedures are with regards to a chase? There seems to be a lot of bashing of this particular cop. Did he follow his organization's SOP for a chase? Did he do anything any of his coworkers wouldn't do? Did he break the law within the State?

Until we know if the cop acted inappropriately or outside organizational SOP, I don't know that we can really condemn his actions.

All we know is that the whacker volly endangered himself, his family, the cop and everyone on the road. Until information on the cop's response becomes available we might want to back off on saying he should be punished or go to jail.

-be safe

[scratrat]

LOL

[njmedic1485]

<Snipped>

. If a cop blows a light on the way to a call, it's his fault. Usually the person he hits happens to be some smuck who doesn't have insurance or something so they get into trouble rather than the cop. Go figure.