Uncalled for prosecution

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Soldato
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-27213009

Long story short a police office responding to an emergency involving children and a firearm is being charged with dangerous driving


Maybe it's just me but this seems extraordinarily harsh. I would imagine he will be trained to a better standard than most on the road and that anyone told of an incident involving kds will push the boundaries


Just seems so unfair that an office trying to to the right thing is being hammered like this
 
I appreciate the nature of the call he was responding to, but it doesn't give him a carte blanche to drive like a tool.

If I see an emergency service vehicle responding to an urgent call, they still stop at junctions and take lots of care when moving through traffic - otherwise if they just cause an accident what's the point in responding in the first place?
 
An unmarked car Driving on the wrong side of the road and through junctions forcing vehicles to take avoiding actions? Do that one hundred times and see how many people end up hurt.

It even says the driver lost control of the vehicle twice.
 
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The court heard how he had driven on the opposite carriageway 11 times, overtook when it was unsafe to do so nine times, drove at an excess speed eight times, caused six other vehicles to take evasive action, and lost control of the car twice.

Lol, taking advantage of the blues and twos I think. Mind you, I've a few of the above (apart from losing control) just go get back for dinner quicker. I think an internal reprimand, revoke him from urgent response for a while send him on a driver training course etc, I don't see why he has to be done in a court of law.
 
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He was responding to an emergency, however you still have to drive someone safely. He isn't Jack Bauer.
 
Trained police drivers do that kind of driving in response to some situations but sounds like he was doing so but also in an unprofessional manner - though thats just a casual judgement and I might be doing him an injustice.
 
I was unaware trained police drivers lose control of their vehicles two times on calls. I'll definitely make sure I pull over next time I see blue light so they don't crash into me :p
 
Yep they're usually trained to not make drivers react fast lay, so they won't pull put of junctions if the car can't stop in time or until the car slows etc. it's not uncommon for emergency vehicles to go on the wrong side of the road but this only happens to overtake a block of traffic and if it's clear as soon as there is a chance of them filtering on the correct side they should use it.

(Burnsy shall be along sharply to rightly correct me on some things :p :D)
 
I was unaware trained police drivers lose control of their vehicles two times on calls. I'll definitely make sure I pull over next time I see blue light so they don't crash into me :p

You know what I mean :P its not unusual for them to go on the other side of the road, etc. etc. when responding to certain emergencies but sounds like this guy did it in a reckless and thoroughly unprofessional manner.
 
Living in Aberdeen and knowing these Roads apart from the loosing control bit I don't see a problem with it. I'm assuming he got to the incident and it was dealt with, what would people be saying if the story was "Family stabbed to death and officers gunned down while Armed response arrives at 30mph"
 
Two sides the story clearly. What exactly are they classing as losing control? A little bit of tyre squeal, or a full spin on out? It's the news, chances are it's exaggerated like any mans business.
 
He will get a slapped wrist, doesn't matter that it was an emergency he would have done nothing when he got there if firearms were involved.
 
I think people need to do what the Sheriff is doing in this case:

Mr Green said his client could fully explain his actions and asked for a special evidential hearing to be fixed for next month.

Video footage
The court heard that information from the police control room, video footage from inside the car and another officer who was in the car at the time could help provide evidence.

Mr Green added: "The interior video has the bulk of the exchange."

Sheriff Christopher Shead agreed to set a hearing next month to hear the exact circumstances of the case.

He was "driving at excess speed"
He was "Jumping red lights"
He was "going onto the other carrigeway"

All inflammatory soundbites. In response situations, emergency vehicles are permitted to do the above and more. The only way to be sure is to look at the in car video that has been taken. As yet, this has not been viewed so perhaps we need to wait to see what happens on this video.
 
With a face like that, I'm unsure as to why the charge is not also for paedophilia

Regardless of the incident, Police, Fire and Ambulance still have to abide by the rules of the road and exercise extreme caution on the few occassions that they do need to proceed through red lights or cross into the oncoming lane
 
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Living in Aberdeen and knowing these Roads apart from the loosing control bit I don't see a problem with it. I'm assuming he got to the incident and it was dealt with, what would people be saying if the story was "Family stabbed to death and officers gunned down while Armed response arrives at 30mph"

Yes, that's exactly what would happen, because we totally live in a world where we have to live by extremes, it would be completely impossible for an armed response officer to drive with urgency without putting multiple other road user's lives at risk. :rolleyes:
 
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