TA caused by emergency vehicle response.

[Synergy]

Emergency vehicle not involved.

So here is a situation that is a first in my career. Door bell rings at my fire station my city's PD is out front. They are doing a traffic invest and inquiring if my ambulance responded C3 on such and such road about 1 hour prior. I did respond on said road. So here is what happened:

I was responding C3 on a 4 lane road, heading Eastbound. Approached a controlled 3 way T intersection and that road heads South. I had the green. Westbound had a green with no arrow for a left turn onto the southbound road. I continued Eastbound through the intersection with no problems.

Still with me?

Car #1 heading westbound at the light making a left turn yields at the stop line. Car #2 yields behind #1. Car #3 slams into 2, which slams into 1!


Car #3 blames the accident on my ambulance.

My city PD has to take a report, cause my city gets sued all the time for emergency vehicles causing accidents. This traffic unit responds on a couple a day! Well the city settles out of court if it is under a certain value. So basically they pay off idiots to avoid court. The number is not small! So car #3 is going after the city and they will just write him a check!

Anyone else's city this retarded?

[Rockit]

That is SOP for most City/County as far as I know.
Don't go with the morally correct but possibly more expensive option...go with the quick and easy option that encourages abuse of the system.

[Aznatama]

Emergency vehicles on c3 cause distractions. Negligence of others is foreseeable and thus not a something intervening force.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

[Ron-Solo]

If the city is paying out on stuff like this, they need better accident investigators.

[IrishJoe3]

If the city is paying out on stuff like this, they need better accident investigators.

Yup

[tyrist]

We take a report for these types of incidents and they are classified as traffic collision by influence.

[Just-in]

If I remember correctly from the ambulance drivers handbook vehicles moving Code 3 Request the right of way, yet I don't understand at all how the city is liable for someone following too closely and not paying attention. Just because the light is green you are supposed to proceed when safe right?

[Tracer666]

Well at least you were responsible and didnt throw a fit. I had an incident a while back where I was making a Right onto a 4 lane highway (NO TRAFFIC ANYWHERE AS IT WAS 3AM) an Ambulance made the same Right turn Right a few seconds after me which it was then rolling code 3, So i Already was in the far left lane and dead stopped cause I figure what an A*S of me it would be to cut the Ambulance off just so I could pull over to the right shoulder.... Well this punk teenager kid driver for AMR stops right behind me on purpose just to get me to pull over to the right, It pissed me off to no end that my decision was made so that he wouldnt have to brake because of me and or you would think that rolling C3 would me there is an emergency...So after he gets me to pull over to the right he heads up to the next light and then proceeds to make a right, so I called AMR and reported him and they pretty much argued me saying I was still wrong, but I wasnt pissed that I had to pull over, I was pissed that he stopped right behind me and made me seem like the a*shole holding him up...

Maybe I should of just reversed and then called 911 to say he rear ended me, since thats what all these other people are doing! I am an EMT back home but dont work on an ambulance so I did feel like i was somewhat betrayed by a comrade... Just my .02cents

[IrishJoe3]

Well at least you were responsible and didnt throw a fit. I had an incident a while back where I was making a Right onto a 4 lane highway (NO TRAFFIC ANYWHERE AS IT WAS 3AM) an Ambulance made the same Right turn Right a few seconds after me which it was then rolling code 3, So i Already was in the far left lane and dead stopped cause I figure what an A*S of me it would be to cut the Ambulance off just so I could pull over to the right shoulder.... Well this punk teenager kid driver for AMR stops right behind me on purpose just to get me to pull over to the right, It pissed me off to no end that my decision was made so that he wouldnt have to brake because of me and or you would think that rolling C3 would me there is an emergency...So after he gets me to pull over to the right he heads up to the next light and then proceeds to make a right, so I called AMR and reported him and they pretty much argued me saying I was still wrong, but I wasnt pissed that I had to pull over, I was pissed that he stopped right behind me and made me seem like the a*shole holding him up...

Maybe I should of just reversed and then called 911 to say he rear ended me, since thats what all these other people are doing! I am an EMT back home but dont work on an ambulance so I did feel like i was somewhat betrayed by a comrade... Just my .02cents

Not that I am siding with AMR, but you were wrong. People do stupid unpredicable things when they see lights/hear siren, (not you, but people in general). Lets say he passes a car on the right, and that car suddenenly realizes that he is supposed to yield to the right, and swerves right. Directly into the ambulance. It has happened and does happen. To make matters worse the ambulance driver could be found at fault for the crash, (as motorist would be doing what they are required to do). For that reason I never pass anyone to the right except in extreme circumstances. Which means sometimes I have to do what the ambulance did. It might slow me down just a second until the driver remembers they need to move right, but thats better than getting in a collision.

Your heart was in the right place, but remember, red light, move right!

[kemasa]

It is short term thinking vs. long term, as insurance companies used to do (some don't anymore). If the amount was around $3k, they would pay it, even if the person was wrong as it was cheaper than fighting it. People (and lawyers) figured that out and would sue to get the free $3k money, which means lots of people, lots of bogus cases. Some companies realized that it would be cheaper in the long term to fight it when the claim was bad, even though for that one case it was more expensive, so that overall the bogus claims would stop. I heard of a story where a person went to a lawyer and the lawyer was happy with the case until the insurance company was mentioned (who fought stupid cases) and the lawyer declined the case.

[Ron-Solo]

Not that I am siding with AMR, but you were wrong. People do stupid unpredicable things when they see lights/hear siren, (not you, but people in general). Lets say he passes a car on the right, and that car suddenenly realizes that he is supposed to yield to the right, and swerves right. Directly into the ambulance. It has happened and does happen. To make matters worse the ambulance driver could be found at fault for the crash, (as motorist would be doing what they are required to do). For that reason I never pass anyone to the right except in extreme circumstances. Which means sometimes I have to do what the ambulance did. It might slow me down just a second until the driver remembers they need to move right, but thats better than getting in a collision.

Your heart was in the right place, but remember, red light, move right!

You are 100% correct. First rule of emergency driving, never pass on the right.

Well at least you were responsible and didnt throw a fit. I had an incident a while back where I was making a Right onto a 4 lane highway (NO TRAFFIC ANYWHERE AS IT WAS 3AM) an Ambulance made the same Right turn Right a few seconds after me which it was then rolling code 3, So i Already was in the far left lane and dead stopped cause I figure what an A*S of me it would be to cut the Ambulance off just so I could pull over to the right shoulder.... Well this punk teenager kid driver for AMR stops right behind me on purpose just to get me to pull over to the right, It pissed me off to no end that my decision was made so that he wouldnt have to brake because of me and or you would think that rolling C3 would me there is an emergency...So after he gets me to pull over to the right he heads up to the next light and then proceeds to make a right, so I called AMR and reported him and they pretty much argued me saying I was still wrong, but I wasnt pissed that I had to pull over, I was pissed that he stopped right behind me and made me seem like the a*shole holding him up...

Maybe I should of just reversed and then called 911 to say he rear ended me, since thats what all these other people are doing! I am an EMT back home but dont work on an ambulance so I did feel like i was somewhat betrayed by a comrade... Just my .02cents

Thank you for inappropriately venting, but you are still 100 % wrong. By the way, that "punk teenager kid" you rant about, is an EMT at a minimum, and possibly a paramedic. He is trained in emergency driving, and has probably already saved more lives than you can count on both hands.

You were not betrayed by a "comrade" as you say it, you betrayed him.....twice.

First by not moving out of the way as required by law (21806 CVC) and the second time when you called to complain when you were the one in the wrong, not him.

Epic fail on your part.

Although this is the LE forum, we will defend other EMS workers just like they were LE.

[TRICKSTER]

You are 100% correct. First rule of emergency driving, never pass on the right.




Thank you for inappropriately venting, but you are still 100 % wrong. By the way, that "punk teenager kid" you rant about, is an EMT at a minimum, and possibly a paramedic. He is trained in emergency driving, and has probably already saved more lives than you can count on both hands.

You were not betrayed by a "comrade" as you say it, you betrayed him.....twice.

First by not moving out of the way as required by law (21806 CVC) and the second time when you called to complain when you were the one in the wrong, not him.

Epic fail on your part. Thank you for playing, now it is time for you to leave the tribal council area immediately.

And no refunds on your $0.02 worth, you wasted it.

Although this is the LE forum, we will defend other EMS workers just like they were LE.

+1. That is why the law requires you to pull to the right. The person rolling code 3 should not have to guess what each person is going to do, everyone is suppose to do the same thing, pull to the right.

[bigdawg86]

If I remember correctly from the ambulance drivers handbook vehicles moving Code 3 Request the right of way, yet I don't understand at all how the city is liable for someone following too closely and not paying attention. Just because the light is green you are supposed to proceed when safe right?

Emergency vehicles rolling code 3 are "requesting" the right of way when responding to a call. When "requesting" the right of way due regard for other vehicles should be practiced at all times because if you roll an intersection , stop sign etc and a TC results, then you are potentially liable if the investigation shows you didn't follow driving policy or show due regard while running code. I have seen several small fender benders from people being distracted by all the pretty lights, but I never once had a supervisor or other LEO question about it.

Bottom line is that there are ambulance chasers that are just out for a buck so they will take advantage of ANY opportunity you give them.

EDIT: I have also been that "punk teenager EMT" who gets behind and wails on the siren to the doofus that pulls to the left. I am not being an *******, but the second I pass on the right and get hit, it's my fault regardless!

[Just-in]

You are 100% correct. First rule of emergency driving, never pass on the right.




Thank you for inappropriately venting, but you are still 100 % wrong. By the way, that "punk teenager kid" you rant about, is an EMT at a minimum, and possibly a paramedic. He is trained in emergency driving, and has probably already saved more lives than you can count on both hands.

You were not betrayed by a "comrade" as you say it, you betrayed him.....twice.

First by not moving out of the way as required by law (21806 CVC) and the second time when you called to complain when you were the one in the wrong, not him.

Epic fail on your part.

Although this is the LE forum, we will defend other EMS workers just like they were LE.

I can see a second version of this story in my head. The bus going to pass on the right because the vehicle in the no. 1 didn't move initally, then they trade paint as he decides to move right now who is at fault...

Reminds me of another thing that plagues me as a tow operator working in traffic dealing with unattentive drivers really sucks. In my few years in the workforce I've had my emt, worked seasonal on an engine and do this now I get my fair share these past few years it sucks lol.

[Ron-Solo]

I can see a second version of this story in my head. The bus going to pass on the right because the vehicle in the no. 1 didn't move initally, then they trade paint as he decides to move right now who is at fault...

Reminds me of another thing that plagues me as a tow operator working in traffic dealing with unattentive drivers really sucks. In my few years in the workforce I've had my emt, worked seasonal on an engine and do this now I get my fair share these past few years it sucks lol.

Not sure I understand your question. Bus?