Ambulance Driver Petition

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

swl

Active Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2003
Messages
143
Saw this on the Honest John website and thought there might be folks here that may be interested.

"The ABD has got up an electronic petition to support the ambulance driver being prosecuted for speeding while rushing transplant organs to a hospital for a life-saving operation.

To register your disgust, please go to:"

www.gmb.org.uk/petition/form.asp

Regards,
swl
 
Police response - (published in the Guardian)
Lincolnshire chief constable Richard Childs said the case could clarify traffic law relating to vehicles carrying organs for transplant.

Mr Childs said in a statement that he and his officers had been "very upset" by some of the criticism of the case.

He said: "All I can do is to make it very clear that we consider saving life the most important thing we do. To suggest that this case compromises that principle is unfair, deeply hurtful and wrong."

So before you go signing the petition, think of those deeply hurt policemen in Lincolnshire who are already very upset. You'll only make things worse for them.

Bugger the speeding ambulance driver, he knew he didn't have a whole body in the back.
 
Petition signed. On another thread I related my only encounter with the police which was not too dissimilar to this episode. Briefly I was prosecuted for speeding to attend to an injured (stabbed) policeman in hospital. I got six point and approximately £300 fine.

I did not bother make a fuss about it.

Maybe I should have started a petition.
 
Except of course, now it now looks like there was no "patient" waiting at the end. This was a job that was left until the early hours when the ambulance service reduce its cover.

The driver was not required to cover an ambulance, and so rather than have him sat around drinking tea, he got a "transport job" - which, if he hadn't done it, would have been given to a taxi service to complete in the morning.

Wonder why his employer hasn't supported him publicly? Perhaps it was because he was abusing the fact that he had blue lights fitted?! There was absolutely no need to speed!!!

Another example of the press to giving us half a story...?!!

As for mizzat - there are stated cases where doctors en route to saving life have been granted the "ambulance" exemption to speeding - I guess this means you didn't consult a solicitor? On the face of it, if your attendance was essential, you would have been found Not Guilty.

:bannana:
 
Sorry to disagree with you "Flip". I did consult a solicitor who did not feel that his attendence in court would make a difference, so he did not. It is possible he was the wrong solicitor for the job. I did however produce all the medical evidence to prove the reason for my speeding. This was apparently considered carefully. I still ended with six points and a fine. Oh well, that was a long time ago and it's all water under the bridge now.

Steve
 
If it helps, the green light has no value in law whatsoever, neither for that matter does a blue one - in so far as they offer no defence against prosecution for any offence (although you can be prosecuted for displaying them without authority...) - so if you were caught speeding in your own car, then so long as your need was as valid as that for an ambulance on an emergency run, then you can claim the same exemption.

It sounds like either you were not key to the medical emergency or else it was not necessary to exceed the limit. Difficult to say without all the facts (rather like the ambulance driver referred to in this thread...).

If it is of any interest, Lincolnshire Police ARE prepared to publish the fact that 5 Police Officers have been prosecuted in recent years for speeding whilst "at work" (they'll have been caught on cameras and not been able to produce evidence of why it was NECESSARY). They will not say how many ambulance drivers have been "done", but I understand there are at least 3 (from a paramedic who says they were caught fairly and squarely ie without a valid emergency).

I'd rather the cameras applied the same common-sense and discretion you get from an old-sweat cop (although not a bright and shiney new recruit...), but it seems that they have all been re-deployed to "catching burglars...".
 
Flip, thanks for all the replies. It is no consolation to me that police frivers hace been prosecuted from speeding. What I found stange is that the magistrates court recommnded that I purchase a green light to display when on emergency calls. I have done so and have used it on many occasions throughout Manchester. On one particular night (around 2 am) I was even given an escort by a police car. They did not stop to check on the reason for my haste. Anyway, that was many years ago and I have kept on to the straight and narrow for years.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom