ever so often, something makes the eyes cross with rage
 

http://www.itv.com/news/38417.html

Speeding charge for ambulance
12.21PM BST, 27 May 2003

An ambulance driver allegedly clocked at 104mph while delivering a liver for a lifesaving transplant operation has been charged with speeding.

Mike Ferguson, a senior ambulance driver with West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service, was in an official vehicle with blue lights flashing when he was spotted by police on the A1 in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.

Mr Ferguson, who has an unblemished record of over 30 years service, had been asked to transport a liver from St James's Hospital in Leeds to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in the early hours of January 16.

He was charged with speeding by Lincolnshire police and is now due to appear before magistrates in Grantham.

The decision to prosecute has been condemned by Mr Ferguson's union the GMB, which said current guidelines concerning organ delivery and the use of blue lights needed to be clarified.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service conceded that the guidelines could be "ambiguous".


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so he was driving shit crazy fast. the dude was very careful and has had 30 years of flawless driving. he had to deliver an organ before time expired or, not only would someone in mid-surgery die, but a donator did his part in vein.

Erase the ticket for God's sake. doh!

I can't think of any words to describe the feelings of rage, disgust, and disbelief I'm experiencing.

This is really fucked up. He's trying to save someone's life and this is how he's treated? Another bad day for humanity.

I totally agree, this man should NEVER have been charged.

Wow,..racing to the aid of someone in need of a liver and being rewarded with a speeding ticket. Methinks that cop is a bad onion,..

Is it possible that the cop who ticketed this guy could get his ass in a sling if the person waiting for the liver died because the ambulance driver was delayed by an idiot?

in singapore, the law reads that autos are not to run red lights.. that includes all EMERGENCY VEHICLES, same thing with speeding.

Different cultures, different rules.
Different country, different rules.

He has been charged, not convicted and the CPS are
not exactly calling for his head.

I doubt a magistrate will convict.

Endangering other lives by driving at reckless speeds does not set well with the law for ANY reason. The distance involved (approx. 180 miles) warrants excessive speed, however. The cops should cut him a break.

Only reinforces that cops are indeed pricks...I mean what is wrong with people?

They should drop this. I understand that it could endanger other lives and if he has a wreck then the person doesn't get the liver; but he was trying to save a life. I'm sure they will drop it seeing his record is perfect.

what about all the police chase shit on tv? they are always willingly endangering citizens because a guy is 'getting away'. its hell of a lot more dangerous than one guy who is a -proffesional- driver for these kind of sittuations.

the thing that gets me on this is it is perfectly acceptable.... if the cops do it.

we can abolish it all if only the piggies aren't angry.

its just wrong

I like the last line of the article, though, that the union says the rules are vague.

The POINT of legal cases like this is to get those rules clarified and turned into something that the cops can actually go by. Sounds to me like the cop was just doing what he understood to be his job, right or wrong.

I hope that cop loses his job, and that this action inflicts other harsh penalties. That is just plain stupid.

I know the cops in New York City are writing stupid tickets to protest the preasure being put on them to issue citations to bolster the Cities coffers. Could this be the same kind of thing?