AsstChiefMark From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1835 times:
I was on a crash scene on an icy I-94 a few years ago. An 18-wheeler did something like that and missed my EMS crew by about 20 feet. Another time, my ambulance got whacked from the rear by an stupid ER nurse in a hurry to get home. I love adrenalin.
One of our new ambulances got hit by a truck broadside on the highway...thankfully they'd dropped off the patient...I have not seen the ambulance, though. We also almost hit an elk one night...what fun that was. The driver looked pretty tense after that.
RJdxer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1805 times:
I was looking all over for this earlier today after I saw it on the weather channel. Not a good promo for fedex that's for sure. Fortunately no one was killed although I do believe someone was injured.
BoeingFever777 From United States of America, joined Jul 2009, 409 posts, RR: 57 Reply 4, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1788 times:
ArmitageShanks From UK - England, joined Dec 2003, 3361 posts, RR: 16 Reply 5, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1779 times:
Quoting Halcyon (Reply 2): One of our new ambulances got hit by a truck broadside on the highway...thankfully they'd dropped off the patient...I have not seen the ambulance, though. We also almost hit an elk one night...what fun that was. The driver looked pretty tense after that.
My brother's soccer coach was broadsided by an ambulance that blatently ran a red light (didn't even slow down and it was confirmed the ambulance drivers fault) and was severely injured.
My parents were also involved in a severe accident in London where a huge transport truck hit their car and caused a 75 car pile up. They walked away.
KingAir200 From United States of America, joined May 2006, 1579 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 1773 times:
Halcyon From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 1770 times:
Quoting ArmitageShanks (Reply 5): My brother's soccer coach was broadsided by an ambulance that blatently ran a red light (didn't even slow down and it was confirmed the ambulance drivers fault) and was severely injured.
That's terrible...you do get some people that think that they're impervious to anything bad just because they are in EMS...we had a couple get fired for that attitude a while back. Trauma junkies...dangerous people like that all need to be sent to new jobs...
Quoting ArmitageShanks (Reply 5): My parents were also involved in a severe accident in London where a huge transport truck hit their car and caused a 75 car pile up.
Wow, glad they were fine.
We had a diabetic hit a bunch of cars, cause a pile up, and then go off a cliff. Somehow he was not hurt, although there were some injuries in the first car he hit.
AsstChiefMark From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 1747 times:
Quoting ArmitageShanks (Reply 5): My brother's soccer coach was broadsided by an ambulance that blatently ran a red light
Our EMS department suspends and fires any medics immediately for stuff like that. No ifs, ands, or buts. Also, we have told the police not to be afraid to cite any of our medics for illegal or unsafe vehicle operations. Throw the book at them. No professional courtesy.
Here's a video of an appropriate ambulance response. Siren on whenever red lights are on; no red lights only, which is illegal in Wisconsin (and gets you a suspension on our EMS dept.). Just to note... Dashcams make vehicles appear to be travelling faster than they really are.
Oly720man From United Kingdom, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 6182 posts, RR: 11 Reply 10, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 1693 times:
KaiGywer From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 12025 posts, RR: 43 Reply 11, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 1640 times:
Man...I wanna see the movies. I hate my work firewall...
AirCop From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 1582 times:
Quoting AsstChiefMark (Reply 8): Here's a video of an appropriate ambulance response.
Thanks for the video, I've lost count of how many EMT (usually private) that drive faster than their skills and road conditions allow. If you don't get to the scene, what good are you? Couldn't help but notice the number of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction and didn't stop (or at least slow down) and pull to the right. Finally, that sure looked like Northern Virginia.
J_Hallgren From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1507 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1546 times:
Quoting AsstChiefMark (Reply 8): Siren on whenever red lights are on; no red lights only, which is illegal in Wisconsin
Here in Clearwater, depending on the severity level of the call, they use either: no lights/siren; lights only; or lights and siren....and up on Cape, they often use the siren only when they need to based on traffic...no impeding traffic, no siren...
KaiGywer From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 12025 posts, RR: 43 Reply 15, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1540 times:
Here in Minnesota an ambulance can use only lights if they choose to, unless they are breaking the right of way through intersections (running red lights, not stopping at stop sign). They still need to drive with due care, however.
DesertJets From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7673 posts, RR: 18 Reply 16, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1509 times:
Quoting AirCop (Reply 13): Couldn't help but notice the number of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction and didn't stop (or at least slow down) and pull to the right. Finally, that sure looked like Northern Virginia.
Unfortunately I think this is a pretty universal phenomenon. Most drivers seem to be only looking just beyond their hood and don't notice much beyond that. Which explains why so few oncoming cars had appeared to pull off to the shoulder of the road (there is a green CRV early in the video that did). Cars that do appear to have pulled off look like they did so within 5 seconds of the ambulance approaching. Must be very frustrating for first responders.... but thankfully in this case traffic was very light.
Stop drop and roll will not save you in hell. --- seen on a church marque in rural Virginia
Petertenthije From Netherlands, joined Jul 2001, 3230 posts, RR: 13 Reply 17, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1496 times:
Quoting DesertJets (Reply 16): Unfortunately I think this is a pretty universal phenomenon.
Is it mandatory to pull over for a ambulance driving towards you from the front? I can understand the need to do so when traffic is busy when an ambulance needs every inch of roadspace it can get. But in this case for the most part there where no other drivers in front of the ambulance, so pulling over serves no purpose?
As for the Netherlands, the emergency services can choose between no lights/sirens, lights only and lights/sirens. Sirens are only used when the traffic requires it. So on a empty road they will use lights, but no sirens. The sirens are used when approaching the accident scene so bystanders know help is on the way. This prevents the emergency number from being flooded by calls for accidents where emergency services are already for en-route.
PSA53 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3004 posts, RR: 4 Reply 18, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 1490 times:
Very lucky the truck trailers were empty.Otherwise,it could have been a lot worse.
Trailers don't bounce or go airborne if they were full of cargo.Fish tailing on a
set of doubles(2 trailers),especially in heavy winds or sharp braking,is a nightmare for a driver
because the trailers want to jack knife.
DesertJets From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7673 posts, RR: 18 Reply 19, posted (6 years 3 months 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 1476 times:
Quoting Petertenthije (Reply 17): Is it mandatory to pull over for a ambulance driving towards you from the front?
It is, at least in New York state.
§ 1144. Operation of vehicles on approach of authorized emergency vehicles.
(a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet to the front of such vehicle other than a police vehicle or bicycle when operated as an authorized emergency vehicle, and when audible signals are sounded from any said vehicle by siren, exhaust whistle, bell, air-horn or electronic equivalent; the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right of way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway, or to either edge of a one-way roadway three or more lanes in width, clear of any intersection, and shall stop and remain in such position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, unless otherwise directed by a police officer.
(b) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with reasonable care for all persons using the highway.
This is regardless of which direction you are traveling, so the emergency vehicle can move freely through traffic as possible. The only exception that I can think of is on a divided (with a physical median or barrier btwn two different directions of traffic) roadway/highway.
Stop drop and roll will not save you in hell. --- seen on a church marque in rural Virginia
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