DON’T BE TOO DISTRACTED TO FOLLOW THE LAW!
Do you know what to do if an emergency vehicle approaches you? If not, you could find yourself not only paying a fine, but also spending time in jail!In Connecticut, “emergency vehicle” means any ambulance or emergency medical service organization vehicle responding to an emergency call or in the pursuit of fleeing law violators.The law goes on to state that “the operator of every other vehicle in the immediate vicinity shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain in such position until the emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a state or local police officer or fireman as provided in section 7-313a.”
As a precaution, once your car is off to the side of the road, keep your foot on the brake to let emergency drivers know that you have stopped. It should also be noted that one must stay at least 500 feet behind any moving emergency vehicle displaying flashing lights and or sounding a siren.
What happens if you don’t notice the flashing lights, hear the siren, or the shoulder is too narrow to pull your car over? Well, for one young man it resulted in a felony charge!
When a police car instructed a student at Saginaw Valley State University to pull over, DaJuan Wallace waited to stop until he came across a Sam’s Club parking lot. A native of Detroit, Wallace was “taught to find a well-lit area to pullover in.” Wallace continued travelling at 35 mph after the officer flashed his lights, and eventually pulled over. He arrested Wallace on the spot. For his caution, authorities in Saginaw County, Michigan, have decided to charge Wallace with fleeing the scene and eluding arrest-a felony.
Numerous other occasions where drivers are distracted and did not hear the sirens or notice the flashing lights, have resulted in serious car accidents like this one.