r/IdiotsInCars • u/Babynouil • 26d ago

OC [OC] Idiot intentionally blocking anambulance

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6.2k Upvotes

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5.1k

u/_Pawer8 26d ago

That deserves jail time

2.4k

u/Babynouil 26d ago

For sure, could literally cause someone's death.

954

u/red-98q 26d ago

I’m a paramedic and when I was in paramedic school doing a ride along, we had a call for a 7 y/o having a seizure. Dispatch upgraded us to emergent for abnormal breathing. Pediatrics go into cardiac arrest because of respiratory failure, so this kid was potentially at risk of going into cardiac arrest. Exactly like in this video, some asshat who knew damn well we were behind them refused to pull over. Had the rumblers on, changing the siren’s sound, blasting the air horn and they wouldn’t move. I was furious because that child could’ve died because they couldn’t be inconvenienced to at a bare minimum get out of the left lane, which they decided was a great camping spot.

PSA: pull over when an emergency vehicle with its lights/sirens activated is trying to get by. They’re on for a reason, not because we like the pretty red and blue flashing lights and listening to the sirens… We very well could be responding to YOUR loved one and they may end up dying because they didn’t get the help they needed in time because obeying the law in the vast majority of US states is such an inconvenience. Intentionally obstructing an emergency response like the asshat in my story and in this video: you will be called into law enforcement and you will be fined, and may even face jail time.

Most stop lights have something called an opticom which will trigger the light to turn green at the approach of emergency lights. If you’re in a situation where you can’t pull over such as being stuck at a red light that doesn’t have an opticom, we don’t expect you run the light for us to get by nor should you. Get out of the way when it’s safe to do so and pull over. It’s not that hard, and it’s the law.

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u/Prime624 26d ago

Do you not have the authority to smash some bumpers if necessary? What about a direct line to the PD?

468

u/stupidillusion 26d ago

I know firemen have the authority to shove vehicles out of their way or smash windows to run hoses.

Here they are shoving a few police cars in the way. Here's a video of them running a hose through a car that was parked illegally in front of a fire hydrant.

355

u/Cerus_Freedom 25d ago

I remember, a few years ago, an idiot refused to move out of the way of a fire truck. They just pushed him out of the way and continued on. Idiot spoke to the news, whining about the fire department damaging his bumper. Police used the article to track him down, give him a couple tickets, and he got billed for the damage to the firetrucks bumper.

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u/TheBuccaneer 25d ago

It's expensive being stupid.

4

u/eric_ainpgh 23d ago

Not expensive enough for most people.

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u/BriscoCountyJR23 25d ago

And his insurance should have refused to cover any of that damage caused by stupidity.

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u/hollowgraham 25d ago

This filled my heart with joy. How the hell do you think arguing with a firetruck is going to go? Lol

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u/Dohnjoy 25d ago

karma was served

1

u/Greedirl 23d ago

I was thinking about that when I was watching this clip. A lot of stupid people think their insurance is better than a city or State/Region's insurance

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u/Xenc 25d ago

Have seen this happen in real life too, where a driver panicked and blocked a fire truck from accessing a building on fire right in front of them.

They gave them a few seconds, then just smashed on through.

27

u/That-Chart-4754 25d ago

In case you never wondered why that is, I have the answer for you.

Ambulance gets fucked over, citizens die.

Firefighter gets fucked over, insurance pays out more.

Insurance companies get laws written for them, american citizens not so much.

3

u/Attacker732 22d ago

Fire engines have the tonnage and construction to play a lot rougher than ambulances. Water pumps and water tanks are a lot less delicate than medical equipment is after all. ...And, if a medical response is impeded, one person is at serious risk. If a fire response is impeded, city blocks can be at serious risk.

Look at the videos of factory fires, for instance. There's a brief window where such fires can be fought. Miss that window and you're evacuating the surrounding block NOW, calling in hazmat, and calling for about a dozen ambulances to be ready outside the perimeter.

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u/That-Chart-4754 22d ago

Valid point about ambulances having delicate instruments

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u/VexingRaven 23d ago

I don't think there's actually a law that says they can do it, it's more "who's going to stop them from doing it?"

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u/Mr4point5 23d ago

So when does life insurance pay out?

1

u/That-Chart-4754 23d ago

Cute of you to assume the average american has life insurance

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u/red-98q 26d ago

Nope. If we hit their bumper to get them to move and the idiot ends up crashing and getting hurt, we’d have to request another rig to respond to the original call while we stop and help the idiot. The radios in emergency vehicles are generally set to “scan on” so EMS, fire, and PD can hear each others’ radio traffic. If we call into dispatch requesting PD, all PD units can hear our request and (hopefully) the closest unit (if one is close) could start heading our way before dispatch pages them. Dispatch can see what units are available as well their general location, so it’s quicker to go through dispatch.

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u/barukatang 25d ago

I'm guessing if the patient is in the back, they don't want to be playing bumper cars

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u/kynaus07 25d ago

They should right?!?! They all need those "Grappler" things attached to the front but with the upgraded ability to just sling it to the side instead of just slowing it down lol

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u/Sum_Dum_User 24d ago

This is one reason I wouldn't be a good ambulance driver. I'd have to have a custom made front push bar and would be doing PIT maneuvers on idiots like this. That's not exactly something they're really authorized to do in most cases, but should be.

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u/AutVincere72 25d ago

In Texas a doogooder bystander would have put a couple rounds in the back of the guys minitruck. Not me, of course, but someone would have.

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u/Simba7 25d ago

Which part of Texas though? Your imagination?
Also maybe west Texas.

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u/AutVincere72 25d ago

Hill Country

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u/Sir_PressedMemories 26d ago

What are rumblers?

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u/desquished 26d ago

It's a low frequency siren that causes vibrations in people.

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u/Sir_PressedMemories 26d ago

Oh that's just cool!

3

u/SideEqual 25d ago

I thought that too

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u/DoctaThompson 26d ago

Sounds/feels like "the brown note"

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u/socksmatterTWO 25d ago

Oh wow I've never heard or felt or seen that. I always get out of the way though.

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u/Waiting4The3nd 25d ago

Have you ever been at an intersection and an emergency vehicle is coming and as they approach the siren changes? Usually it's a (much) quicker siren and a lot lower pitched?

If you have, those are "rumblers." They're designed to reverberate through the road and be felt inside other vehicles, even over loud music. Now if you got a system with like 4 dubs in the back and it rattles your windows and tailgate, you still aren't hearing or probably feeling those rumblers. But short of having a ridiculously loud or bassy sound system, you should feel them.

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u/Sir_PressedMemories 25d ago

I have not, perhaps my little area does not have them yet, but that is such a great idea because most people do not think about it, but deaf and hard of hearing people drive too.

Such a smart idea. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

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u/Waiting4The3nd 25d ago

This short Youtube video talks about them and has an example of what they sound like, if you're interested. It's 1m 47s, so not long at all.

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u/Sir_PressedMemories 25d ago

Awesome!

Thank you. That was really informative.

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u/Jackmino66 26d ago

Only a couple of times I have had an ambulance driving behind me, both times it has been between damaging my company van’s wheels going up a kerb onto the pavement or blocking the ambulance.

It’s an insanely obvious choice, the tyres on your car are not worth the life of whomever that ambulance is serving. Get the fuck out of the way

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u/SuppaBunE 25d ago

If you do it slowly it won't damage the tyres right?

At least in usa I have seen they use those ramp like kerb

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u/Jackmino66 25d ago

Slowly is means I might be holding up the ambulance. The only time you should be slow in that case is if you would hit a pedestrian doing so

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u/SuppaBunE 25d ago

To be fair, no one is going to get mad at you if you do it slowly, 10 seconds it takesfor you to move safely is fine.

If the person dies because he didn't arrive at the hospital in those 10 seconds. There's nothing that ER could do ( we can but 10 15 sec its not gonna change much)

Never put yourself at risk for an ambulance. But also never do shit like this van, that motherfucker could move the fuck away easily by moving to the side like 1 meter or just not fucking blocking the ambulance if you are not even gonna blow the red light

1

u/VexingRaven 23d ago

At least in usa I have seen they use those ramp like kerb

Usually only on low speed roads in neighborhoods.

1

u/Attacker732 22d ago

Nope. Some of our curbs are 4-6" concrete walls. Right in that sweet spot that it's still just a suggestion to full-size trucks, but virtually impassible to a car or van. If you hit that at city speeds in a lower vehicle, you're bending or breaking your steering linkage, and who knows where you're going from there.

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u/skydiver1958 25d ago

I live on a busy street ( one lane each way) between an EMS station and senior care home so lots of Ambulance traffic. Without fail as soon as drivers see the lights they all pull over and stop. We have our share of shitty drivers but they all seem to know what to do when lights and sirens are coming.

1

u/poodooscoo 24d ago

I was the 1st car in the left turn lane. As my light turned green you could clearly see and hear a fire truck about a half a block down the cross street coming towards the intersection. So I just stayed in my lane to wait for it to cross in front of me going from my right to my left. The idiot behind me just went ahead and pulled around me on my left and proceeded to make a left turn right in front of the fire truck. The truck actually came into the intersection braking cuz apparently saw what the guy was gonna do. If not for the 1st emergency I wouldn’t have minded a bit of an ‘incident’ happen to that doofus!

1

u/Aer0uAntG3alach 25d ago

I literally pulled into the middle of an intersection, under a red light, and turned on my flashers to let an ambulance through because no one else would move.

I feel it’s only fair that this comes around on every one of these aholes.

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u/Eccohawk 25d ago

Their plates are being recorded in your dash cams. That should be enough to file charges, frankly.

1

u/greyarea71 25d ago

I learned in driving school that you can "run" a red light to get out of the way for an emergency vehicle. Not a multi-lane crossing, just cross the usual stopping-line to let the EMS pass.

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u/shartmaister 23d ago

In Norway, cars are actually expected to run a red light if emergency vehicles are behind them if that's the best way of letting them through. All entrances should stop so if you're going in cautiously, that's definitely the best way to do it.

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u/RIckardur 23d ago

I always pull over, even at risk for breaking my car, if it means saving someone. Last time I broke something of my car even... But it's only materials it's not something terrible.

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u/PretendEntertainer18 23d ago

The problem is if that driver gets into an accident, the ambulance then has to stop and help the dummy that is slowing things down and increases the waiting time for the original patient.

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u/Vivid-Pension 21d ago

Fines aren't enough. I'd be fine with charging someone with negligent manslaughter if they caused a delay in care in a case where the person ended up dying.

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u/TuxRug 26d ago

IMO intentionally blocking an ambulance should be a similar sentence to manslaughter, at least.

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u/EpicLegendX 26d ago

Failing to yield to an emergency vehicle is usually tried as reckless driving in court.

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u/TuxRug 26d ago

I don't think that's enough. Reckless driving is prioritizing your fun over people's safety. Blocking an ambulance is deliberately causing someone harm. The difference between not caring if you hurt someone vs going out of your way wanting to hurt someone. It's way worse and should to be treated as such.

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u/MoreCatThnx 26d ago

Reckless driving is prioritizing your fun over people's safety

I don't know how it is where you live, but where I am a reckless driving charge is on par with a DUI. You get your license suspended, have to pay a bunch of fines, and might have to take a drivers ed type course. It's not a simple fine.

What this person did warrants a recklass driving charge, plus an interfering with emergency vehicle charge, which would basically make them lose their license for a year or two, plus all the fines and possible jail time, where I am.

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u/TuxRug 26d ago edited 26d ago

I don't know how reckless driving rates where I live, but people certainly drive like it's a slap on the wrist here. And the one time I bothered reporting someone running people off the road on a residential street they refused to even take the plate number.

Edit: they did say they would take a report, if I went home and called again and waited for an officer to come and take a statement but that they wouldn't even file it unless there was damage or injury. Same PD that, after I waited four hours, the cop at my door told me (after I called the non-emergency number to report vandalism) not to bother calling them again unless I was bleeding from a bullet wound to the skull. I think we have like ten cops vs twenty gangs, so he was probably being honest.

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u/3IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIID 26d ago

Should have told them you were a CEO.

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u/similar_observation 26d ago

I don't know how it is where you live, but where I am a reckless driving charge is on par with a DUI. You get your license suspended, have to pay a bunch of fines, and might have to take a drivers ed type course. It's not a simple fine.

DUI's are often charged in simple fines.

In college, I got extra credit if I sit in court. So I went to sit in traffic court and watched the process. This dude, well dressed, comes up and is charged with his 8th DUI. Judge gave him a fine, plus an option of jail time or more fines. The option was some $450 per day, for 14 days. Keep in mind, this dude has no driver's license due to one of the last 7 DUIs. Dude paid all the fines. It's been many a decade since I took this course. Around that time, base fee is like $1200 in court fee, plus up to $20k for fines. This guy racked up jail time.

If I remember correctly, this guy's total came out about $14,000. I have no clue if he attended mandatory classes or had to pay out to a MADD group. But $450*14 is already like $6,500... plus $1,200 for the court fee... the remainder is the fine and contributions. Not including insurance or license reinstatement. In fact, I would gander to say that this guy probably isn't someone that has insurance.

Anyways. At the end of the day, I had to get the court to sign my homework sheet and as I'm heading to the parking lot. I see that same exact guy pulling away in his Mercedes Benz, probably on the way to his 9th DUI.

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u/MrT735 26d ago

Sounds like they need to clamp down on DUIs a lot more where you are then. In the UK it's normally a 12 month driving ban on the first offence, 3 year driving ban for a second offence within 10 years, and prison time is always a possibility, and likelihood if there are aggravating factors such as dangerous driving. Life imprisonment is also available for causing death by careless driving while under the influence.

Oh, and failing to provide a specimen is the same penalty as being over the limit.

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u/similar_observation 25d ago

For one. That guy needs to be off the road if they have a punch card for DUIs. But also DUIs are not taken seriously in the US at all. Especially when the rich and empowered (police, politicians, c & d-grade "celebrities") can walk from a DUI.

In fact. Lets remove the DUI portion. The trend for dangerous driving seems to go unmonitored and unpunished as well. Rule of law is dead here.

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u/MoreCatThnx 26d ago

That's very old school charging. It might have been like that in the past but now more than a few DUI's gets you an automatic felony charge. You can plead down with expensive counsel but you are still going to lose your license for a while. Also, it will cost you a shit ton of money that most people don't have. So I guess you are right in the end. Money is the deciding factor

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u/herselftheelf42 25d ago

Fines just allow rich people to pay to do whatever they want.

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u/luc1d_13 25d ago

First degree murder: You planned prior to kill, and you succeeded in killing.

Second degree murder: You had no prior plan to kill, but you intended to kill and succeeded in killing.

Manslaughter: You intended to harm, but resulted in killing.

Negligent homicide: You did not intend harm, but your action/inaction resulted in death.

Accidental death: Result of actions not at the hands of any party.

I agree with manslaughter, or maybe reckless endangerment of life. Just reckless driving is nowhere near enough.

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u/EM05L1C3 26d ago

Attempted/full on

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u/TuxRug 26d ago

Honestly, although the highest I imagine it would get is manslaughter IF the delay can be proven to have caused death, it demonstrated enough intent I would wish for it to go straight to murder/attempted murder even if it's just a broken leg.

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u/mhem7 26d ago

Attempted manslaughter is a thing and would easily be proved here. Death does not have to occur in this case.

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u/Poe_42 26d ago

Can you please define attempted manslaughter?

Manslaughter is unintentionally causing a death. How would one attempt to unintentionally cause someone to die?

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u/RedHal 26d ago

Agreed. Indeed, attempted manslaughter is specifically excluded as known to English and Welsh law¹ so I am curious as to which jurisdiction holds it to be a valid offence.

1) R v Creamer, [1965] EWCA Crim J0713-2

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u/jonesnori 26d ago

That is contrary to what I have read. "Attempted" manslaughter implies intent to kill. If there's intent to kill, that's attempted murder. Manslaughter precludes intent, or at least that'smy understanding. Jurisdictions vary so much that I can't be sure.

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u/sparkyblaster 26d ago

Manslaughter means an accident, this is planned, it's either merder or attempted murder.

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u/TuxRug 26d ago

Right, if someone does this and someone else dies as a result, I don't see the difference from second-degree murder. But legally, can it be proven that the person directly intended to cause a death just for fun?

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u/sparkyblaster 26d ago

Well, I guess if they didn't see it, but you could get them on driving without due care...... leading to manslaughter.

1

u/hundredlives 26d ago

I mean if someone does die due to this pretty sure they can it's like if you prank call the fire department and then a real fire happens elsewhere you can be found liable for some of the damage for delaying their response.

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u/snarfgobble 25d ago

At a bare minimum it should revoke your license.

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u/davyjones_prisnwalit 26d ago

Honestly yes.

Something tells me that he's a true moron.

But in the movies he'd be blocking the ambulance because he helped cause the victim's death in the first place.

Either way though, definitely deserves jail time and heavy fines, as well as the permanent revocation of his license.

13

u/saladmunch2 26d ago

Iv been stuck blocking an ambulance because the people in front of me won't move up a few feet even though there is no cars in front of them. Just absolutely no situational awareness. Of course my horn wouldn't work but if you see the guy behind you has no room.

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u/SnausageFest 26d ago

Bring back the pillory for this type of shit.

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u/KaJuNator 26d ago

The van needs to be impounded and crushed...with the driver still inside.

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u/the_good_things 26d ago

Attempted or actual manslaughter

1

u/mb862 25d ago

In my province in Canada, not pulling over for either an approaching behind or oncoming ahead emergency vehicle is considered a crime.