My wife was pulled over, ticketed, and delayed on her way to emergency surgery.

[Nipsy3]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania

My wife is an cardiac surgery nurse for UPMC hospital in Pittsburgh PA. As anyone in the healthcare field knows, practically ALL hospitals are short on nurses. Therefore she works 24 hours "on call" from home two days a week, in addition to working her normal 40+ hours. She was called in at 2 AM last night and told to be there right away for an emergency surgery. She was pulled over by a municipal officer for going 80 in a 40 mph zone at sometime between 2 and 3 AM. The road is a 4 lane highway, which is a 45-55 limit most of the way except in the area she was pulled over in. She explained to him the situation and he either didn't believe her or didn't think she had reason to be in such a hurry. He found it very unlikely that they couldn't have a nurse closer come in at a sooner time (they couldn't, thats why she is on call and not someone else). On top of all this, he took the time to lecture her about the situation and how as a nurse, she should know better than driving that way. She said the stop took close to 20 minutes, while someone was lying near dead on an operating table. He ticketed her for speeding, though he lowered the charge somewhat. She's still looking at 4 points.

She was actually in trouble when she got to the hospital, as the surgery had to start shorthanded without her. Once they were made aware of the situation, her supervisors immediately wrote her letters of explanation to take to court with her. They felt what the officer did was unjust.

She's obviously going to court with the ticket, but what is she looking at here? I think at the very least, it should be reduced to a no points fine, but is there reason for the ticket to be thrown out completely? It can be argued that a life was at risk, and hers not nearly as much, seeing that at 3 AM on a Friday morning, there was no traffic on the road. She wasn't driving erractically at all, just speeding.

Would an officer pull over an ambulance or even a voluntary fire fighter driving his car to an accident? Then, still take the time to ticket them? How would the officer or judge feel if it was them or a member of their family on that operating table? Will a judge even recognize just how seriously things are taken in an operating room?What is the name of your state?

 

[enjay]

She's lucky he lowered the charges because in my state that's reckless driving. It doesn't really matter why she was speeding.

 

[xylene]

Unless your wife's personnel car is an authorized emergency vehicle, and she was duly operating in that capacity with all required warnings and care, she has no authorization to bend or break the traffic laws.

It is possible (even probable) that a sympathetic judge will be lenient.

Be conciliatory, but not indignant. The doctors letter is not an entitlement to speed.

 

[tranquility]

Your wife put people at substantial risk for no reason. She went twice the speed limit and was lucky she wasn't arrested. The operation started without her so she can't claim it was a "necessity" (A criminal defense where one admits commiting a crime because of the greater harm if they did not.) as a doctor might as the emergency operation would not have been able to happen without the doctor.

Does the hospital have some guideline for the time a person on call has to arrive when called? If they do, it seems like you are outside of the zone for that guideline if such a risk to other people is required to get to the hospital. Move closer, get another job or go off the emergency on call list. I have no sympathy in this case as I must ask, how many other times has this happened? Basically, you're asking the community to take the risk of injury or death so you can live the distance you want and do the job you want. That is, unless the hospital screwed up in this instance and didn't call soon enough or your wife screwed up by not leaving right away or been in a position to answer the call right away.

I think the court should render the amount of penalty which would discourage this sort of irresponsible behavior in the future.

 

[FlyingRon]

Even ambulances are not necessarily entitled to go that fast. (Although the only time I've ever heard of an ambulance being ticketed, the judge chewed out the officer royally when it went to trial).

 

[racer72]

She's obviously going to court with the ticket, but what is she looking at here?

Most likely she will be found guilty and will have to pay the fine. Nothing in your post suggest the ticket was not warranted. If you and your wife even consider fighting this ticket without an attorney, be prepared to have your bottoms handed to you on a silver platter.

 

[JustAPal00]

I have to agree with everyone else. I would fight the ticket though. As was stated, you might get a sympathetic judge. My ex wife, sister, aunt, and mother have all been OR or ER nurses, and would never drive 80 in a 40 to get to work on call!

 

[GulfBreeze]

Even ambulances are not necessarily entitled to go that fast. (Although the only time I've ever heard of an ambulance being ticketed, the judge chewed out the officer royally when it went to trial).

Most EMS services (including fire trucks) are only allowed to go 20 mph over the posted speed limit. I have been called in on emergencies (external disasters) and I have to obey the posted speed limits. They want you to get there as fast as you can, but obeying the law and driving safely. They don't want you to come back after an accident and claim that it was the hospital's fault because you were "needed" for a crisis. The police officer has heard many excuses and these are often used by emergency response teams (paramedics, nurses, doctors etc). I can not see any justification in dismissing this ticket (maybe lowering the fine) but she is still guilty of reckless driving going that fast.

BTW...we have at our hospital, 2 teams ready to go in the late hours just for unexpected unscheduled emergency surgeries. I can not believe that your wife was so badly needed that she had to go that fast.

 

[moburkes]

I have to put in my 2 cents. You AND your wife are WAY out of line. Period. And, oh, by the way, if she hadn't acted as if she was above the law, she would have been on her way in a matter of minutes. SHE prolonged the engagement, and she deserved the lecture.

 

[CdwJava]

Most EMS services (including fire trucks) are only allowed to go 15 mph over the posted speed limit.

As an FYI, in CA there is no such speed restriction. The only limited exemption from some driving laws comes to us when we operate with lights AND sirens, and even then we have to act with due regard for public safety. While speed is a factor, our Vehicle Code does not provide a permitted limit over the posted limit ... I'm surprised that FL does - unless this is a more or less informal practice rather than a law.

Our volunteer firefighters also have to follow the rules ... fortunately for them, we all know who they are so if they DO get stopped, chances are we're all going to the same place anyway. More likely, we're not going to stop them because we ARE going to the same place.

- Carl

 

[FlyingRon]

"Emergency vehicles" in Penna can "Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as the driver does not endanger life or property" except that ambulances, blood delivery vehicles, or human organ delivery vehicles" may not speed (they may proceed through red lights after ascertaining others are yielding).

Hence, Police and Fire get to speed, medical doesn't.

 

[GulfBreeze]

SOP 205.05 DRIVER SAFETY

When responding to emergency calls under CODE 3 conditions, Fire Department vehicles may exceed the posted speed limit, but shall be regulated AT ALL TIMES by existing road and traffic conditions. , At no time will any Fire Department vehicle exceed 20 MPH above the posted speed limit or 80 MPH under any conditions.

Under wet or foggy or any other Hazardous weather or road conditions, Fire Department vehicles should react Pessimistically to the conditions encountered, and in no case exceed the Posted speed limit.

 

[FlyingRon]

What is allowed in Florida or California is totally immaterial.

The poster was in Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, medical personal can not speed even if they are in an ambulance, let alone a private car.

In any event you need to have lights to exert any sort of privilege.

 

[GulfBreeze]

What is allowed in Florida or California is totally immaterial.

The poster was in Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, medical personal can not speed even if they are in an ambulance, let alone a private car.

In any event you need to have lights to exert any sort of privilege.

Sorry, that example was from a city in TX. It is an example of what most city's allow. Now...as for PA...Here is the state statue:

PA Title 75 Statutes Pertaining to Emergency Response and Vehicles​

§ 3105. Drivers of emergency vehicles
(a) General rule.--The driver of an emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm or other emergency call, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions stated in this section.

(b) Exercise of special privileges.--The driver of an emergency vehicle may:

*Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this part.
*Proceed past a red signal indication or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation, except as provided in subsection.
*Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as the driver does not endanger life or property, except as provided in subsection.
*Disregard regulations governing direction of movement, overtaking vehicles or turning in specified directions.

Private cars are NOT exempted. She is guilty of reckless driving.

 

[FlyingRon]

I already said exactly what you are posting except I didn't omit the very important few words that you did. The "except as provided in subsection" line disallows ambulances, organ donor, and blood delivery vehicles from speeding. Only police and fire get to speed.