I was pulling my bobcat and two attachments on a little windy backroad today, with no shoulders just big ditches on the sides, and was coming into a right hand turn and just happened to look in my mirror. A fool in a 1/2 ton gasser dodge was passing me (there was no room, plus we were in a hard curve) and then I looked ahead again and another truck was coming the other direction. I locked up my brakes and almost slid my trailer in the ditch, oncoming truck does the same, and edit truck swerves between us and keeps on gittin it. Was a volunteer fireman going to a call. I was about half a second from calling the police on him, he nearly killed all 3 of us. Thought about following him to the VFD and either talking to someone there or giving him a grade A stomping. If I'd have took out a sign or mailbox or flipped my trailer, it would have all been on me.

Don't get me wrong. I've been a volunteer firefighter for 16 years, and driving fast is part of the fun sometimes. But you don't drive like a fool and get people killed either. That guy needs about 8 weeks with no fire privleges, or something. Maybe yank his **** licence. Or bust his head, one.

 

Timberman, I am glad you survived that close call. The **** idiot should be shot! IMHO. Terry.

 

Fortunately, nobody had an accident from this situation. I hope it scared the idiot enough that he will be doubly carefull and considerate of other drivers next time a situation like that developes. Your guardian angel was looking after all of you on that trip. Take care and alway think of the next fellow. The life you save may be your own.

 

they always used to tell us in medic school and fire academy..." if you ( the rescuer ) gets hurt speeding to the call or on a call, WHO'S gonna save YOU? " there is NO excuse for that and sure ive run my share of red lights in the ambulance ( shouldnt have and would never forgive myself had i caused a collision ) and ive raced down the backroads goin to the firestation. thank God ive been lucky. however there is no excuse for that at all. i personally would have a talk with his captain. not to badmouth, but thats a problem with alot of volunteers, they get waayyy too amped up and lose sight of the big picture. glad you survived. one day, someone might not.

 

Glad it turned out OK for all involved, but I would agree someone needs some schooling. Be safe, it is a jungle out there.

 

glad to hear every one came out, alright.

he has no business driving wrecklessly like that, no matter if he was enroute to a fire call or not. i have been trying to get on a VFD my self 2nd time trying no success, hopefully 3rd time will be the one. i am an EMT, have been for three years. one thing that has been driven in to my head by emergency driving instructors is driving with DUE REGUARD for the general public. he was obviously not doing so. i hope he got a wake up call out of this or that the other driver called him in.

 

If this Numb Nut passed me her would be detained by local law enforcement!

I'd personally make sure of that!!!

Get their plates call them in!

Rick

 

Discusting who is he? Thinking he is saving a life. Man that makes me angry. I have been a volunter fire fighter to. I was never given the right to hurt some one else.
There should be a fine fiter to weed out the glory seekers.

 

Sounds like he was trying to create more work for his buddies. Back in the day when I drove a ambulance, I would get passed all the time on the interstate. It's not always about the speed. It's kinda' hard to work on someone when the truck is going like a bat out of hell. 75-80 mph and people would pass me, sheesh!!

 

Yeah I think you have a duty to track em down and report him....

As far as passing ambulances, heck no but i do like to use them occasionally like a blocker through light traffic (2 lanes/side) ala diehard 3! I usually lose them at red lights though after a block or two..

This story kinda reminds me when I was a teenager racing another kid and the same situation happened. I had to nail the brakes for him to fly right by and cut back in. Dumb kids we were... my guardian angelS worked overtime with me.

 

I am very glad that no one or nothing was damaged or hurt. That would be a catastrophy. I was once a volinteer rescue squad person. An EMT to be exact, in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I will be the first to say that the actions of the individual was wreckless and could have had grave consequnces. In fact if MD has similar laws the individual was driving illegally. That individual most likely was running on pure adrenialin. This by no means excuses them from their rectless and careless operation of a motor vehicle. It is a fact that when another person's life is on the line that common sense can be an after thought. This is a major break down and is not tolerated by reputable emergency services and should be reported in a calm clear manner. It is a problem that is in need of addressing and is quite common amongst volinteer emergency services. I know, for I have done the same thing trying to reach a bad accident involing children. Part of the problem comes from pure frustration when other drivers do not look in their rear view mirror or just drive along like they own the road. The red lights on the volinteer's vehicle do not give them any extra rights or allow them to break any laws. What that red light does is ask you to please pull over and allow the volinteer to SAFELY pass at the legal speed limit. We all need to be attentive at all times and plan for the unpredictable driver. Drive defensively and help your fellow man.

 

i was gonna mention that...report it in a CALM manner. goes a long way. just yesterday i was filing photos from fatal accidents. ppl dont realize what carelessness causes until its too late and it happens to someone they know. and ya, we used to get passed and flipped off in the amb. ALL the time. the best was when youd come up behind someone and they would turn around looking right at you and STOP without pulling to the right OR left. drivers in this nation are horribly uneducated and that should change. and this is comin from a 23 year old who likes fast things

 

The Volunteer fire guys here are ... well... They have something like a little blue strobing LED on their dash like every other thug in the ghetto who thinks it looks cool, and with this they run through red lights,stop signs, etc.

I know they probably don't have the privileges to use sirens but to me you have no business running lights without sirens and some serious christmas tree strobes lights like the cops have.

 

"round here Patrick, if they have an accident, cause one, oin way to a call with or without their courtesy light on its their fault, I knew a guy that was a few years from becomming cheif, he never made it, he did hurt someone while going to a call and man did they throw a heavy book at him. Scotty, glad you're ok, you might wann stop by and give the fd a good talkin and let them give the guy a good tounge lashing, he'll be washing the rigs for a while before he gets to ride one again. If they pull an attitude, then go to the police, that better than you or me attitude is going to kill someone.

 

Tunnel vision is what gets people hurt and killed in the emergency services. All this guy was thinking about was where he was going and not how he was getting there. People like him give firefighters, volunteers especially, a bad name. I was a volunteer for 3 years before becoming paid over 2 years ago. I've got to where I don't even run red lights in my own vehicle on the way to calls. I can get there just as fast without them. As soon as some idiot sees them he/she will stop in the first blind curve or stop half way in the road across from someone else that stopped half in the road causing me to have to weave through traffic or go around curves in the wrong lane that I can't see around. It's not worth the risk. I work for 3 departments and drive every shift I work at one and relief drive at the other two. That is the most dangerous thing we do is go to and from calls.