Of Ambulances and Ambulance Drivers

[Kohn]

We give way to ambulances, always.

But have you ever encountered a reckless ambulance driver? One just killed the patient and the two parents. The two siblings of the patient are in critical condition. The teller manning the toll gate was also brought to the hospital. But the ambulance drive is alive and well.

Here are some additional facts:
1. The patient was not in critical condition and so there was no need to hurry. It was a company ambulance borrowed by the union president to transport an employee's child to a hospital in the city 50 miles away.
2. The accident happened at the toll gate.

Toll gate! Tell me, how can an ambulance, even with a critical patient, be running so fast at the toll gate?

 

[Byker]

It makes no sense that the driver was driving fast at the toll gate when he would have had to been aware that it was coming up. Were any details about how the accident happened given?

 

[Angelinus]

That's a sad story, regardless of what happened. It sounds to me like there may have been some other element at play too, maybe a mechanical fault of some kind?

 

[HondaMan]

I think that's a shame and I'm sure charges may follow. There was no need for the driver to be driving that reckless. I understand going a little fast for someone in critical condition, but otherwise it should be frowned upon. I'm sure they're not trained the same way police officers are trained regarding traffic.

 

[Car Hop]

I haven't seen a reckless ambulance driver myself, but I don't doubt that there are some out there. I've heard stories about some emergency vehicle situations in the past.

 

[Speedo]

We had a similar case a while back. An off-duty policeman was talking on his cell phone while driving drunk. He left-turned and hit two pedestrians, killing them both.

You'll be glad to know they had him pay a small fine, took him off the police force, and gave him a job driving the local ambulance.

 

[Kohn]

Hi Speedo! This crossed my mind immediately after reading your post, "Oh my! Oh my!" You may add some sound and vibration to that.

I was told my story was due to a failure in the break system, but that's not official yet. Even if true, I would still find that too unfortunate. Ambulances have to be in top shape all the time, like the Coast Guards who go out in the stormiest of weathers.