There's an odd little story going on in New Hampshire. (It even made Good Morning America.) An expectant mother had her water break, and her husband kinda hit the panic button. They got into their car and tore off for the hospital -- breaking the speed limit. A state trooper spotted them on the road and hit the lights, Daddy called 9/11 and explained, and the trooper escorted them to the hospital, where Mom delivered a healthy baby boy.
And after congratulating the couple, the trooper gave Daddy a ticket for speeding.
My first thought was "what a jerk." It was an emergency, the trooper should have shown a bit more compassion and common sense. Plus, the baby was delivered six minutes after they got to the hospital, so time really was of the essence. Toss this case out, dammit!
But then I heard a few more details. And I'm siding with the trooper.
First up, Daddy wasn't just speeding. He was SPEEDING. He had his Kia into triple digits, and the trooper said he had to hit 114 MPH just to catch up and pass Daddy. He took one corner that I know very well at about 84 MPH -- not a good move. It was also at 3:30 in the morning, so while visibility was lousy, the traffic was pretty much nonexistent, so that's a wash.
Next, Daddy was driving like hell while on the phone to the 9/11 operator. That's even more scary and dangerous.
Finally, I know that area pretty well -- I lived there for about 15 years. Daddy didn't head for the nearest hospital -- there's one in Londonderry. He didn't head for the nearest big hospital -- there are two good-sized ones in Manchester. No, his hospital of choice was #3 in distance.
Daddy ain't a hardened criminal -- he was a guy who panicked. His intentions were the best, but he put himself, his wife, his soon-to-be-born son, and anyone else on the road at that hour in danger. Tremendous danger. He earned his ticket, and it ought to stand.
But I'd favor the judge reducing it, or hitting him with the minimum -- accompanied by a very stern lecture. And Daddy should accept it with grace.
Which, I suspect, is how it will play out. I have faith in my fellow New Hampshirites.
And after congratulating the couple, the trooper gave Daddy a ticket for speeding.
My first thought was "what a jerk." It was an emergency, the trooper should have shown a bit more compassion and common sense. Plus, the baby was delivered six minutes after they got to the hospital, so time really was of the essence. Toss this case out, dammit!
But then I heard a few more details. And I'm siding with the trooper.
First up, Daddy wasn't just speeding. He was SPEEDING. He had his Kia into triple digits, and the trooper said he had to hit 114 MPH just to catch up and pass Daddy. He took one corner that I know very well at about 84 MPH -- not a good move. It was also at 3:30 in the morning, so while visibility was lousy, the traffic was pretty much nonexistent, so that's a wash.
Next, Daddy was driving like hell while on the phone to the 9/11 operator. That's even more scary and dangerous.
Finally, I know that area pretty well -- I lived there for about 15 years. Daddy didn't head for the nearest hospital -- there's one in Londonderry. He didn't head for the nearest big hospital -- there are two good-sized ones in Manchester. No, his hospital of choice was #3 in distance.
Daddy ain't a hardened criminal -- he was a guy who panicked. His intentions were the best, but he put himself, his wife, his soon-to-be-born son, and anyone else on the road at that hour in danger. Tremendous danger. He earned his ticket, and it ought to stand.
But I'd favor the judge reducing it, or hitting him with the minimum -- accompanied by a very stern lecture. And Daddy should accept it with grace.
Which, I suspect, is how it will play out. I have faith in my fellow New Hampshirites.
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Comments (15)
My dad got a parking ticket... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Jinx McHue | January 5, 2011 2:30 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
My dad got a parking ticket outside the hospital the night/morning I was born. He was able to get out of it using me as an excuse (*grin*) and a photocopy of that ticket is now one of my most treasured baby mementos.
1. Posted by Jinx McHue | January 5, 2011 2:30 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 14:30
2. Posted by Russ | January 5, 2011 2:52 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Might want to fix that....
2. Posted by Russ | January 5, 2011 2:52 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 14:52
3. Posted by Peter F. | January 5, 2011 3:09 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Apparently, Daddy didn't have game plan and or go through a dress rehearsal in his head. Bad Daddy.
3. Posted by Peter F. | January 5, 2011 3:09 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 15:09
4. Posted by Tim | January 5, 2011 3:29 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
The most surprising thing is that he got a Kia over a hundred. I didn't think you could get one going that fast if you dropped it off a cliff.
4. Posted by Tim | January 5, 2011 3:29 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 15:29
5. Posted by SicSemperTyrannus | January 5, 2011 3:46 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Having driven through NH on vacation in late October, I was very impressed with the courteousness of the drivers there.
People use the left lane to pass and then get the hell back over in the center or right lane like they should. Trucks aren't allowed in the passing lane.
5. Posted by SicSemperTyrannus | January 5, 2011 3:46 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 15:46
6. Posted by Roy | January 5, 2011 3:55 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
The more this guy keeps his 15 minutes of infamy going, the worse it'll be for him to slide by on anything.
6. Posted by Roy | January 5, 2011 3:55 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 15:55
7. Posted by jim m | January 5, 2011 5:04 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Children have been born for centuries without the assistance of doctors or a hospital. Panic was totally unnecessary. If he is coherent enough to dial 911 then he should have been capable of having them talk him through the necessities until an EMT could arrive.
Letting him slide would only promote similar stupid behavior. My guess is that at 114 the front end of that car got very light and has was a serious danger to himself and his wife. They are all lucky to be alive.
7. Posted by jim m | January 5, 2011 5:04 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 17:04
8. Posted by Tatersalad | January 5, 2011 5:17 PM | Score: -1 (3 votes cast)
This is what liberalism will get you:
This is the City of Detroit, now and likely into the future. This what the Progressive, liberal, entitlement ideology and culture that is breed into the City and its inhabitants by people who preach that liberalism is the only path to a greater life. "Poverty Pimps" such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson love to have cities like this so they have a pulpit to spread their own type of ideology.
http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2011/01/tour-of-detroit.html
http://www.notsopuremichigan.com/?p=34
8. Posted by Tatersalad | January 5, 2011 5:17 PM |
Score: -1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 17:17
9. Posted by GarandFan | January 5, 2011 5:29 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Poor prior planning = piss poor performance.
9. Posted by GarandFan | January 5, 2011 5:29 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 17:29
10. Posted by wolfwalker | January 5, 2011 6:44 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Irrelevant aside: I must admit, when I read this:
"He had his Kia into triple digits,"
my first reaction was damn, I didn't know a Kia could go that fast!
10. Posted by wolfwalker | January 5, 2011 6:44 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on January 5, 2011 18:44
11. Posted by Steve H. | January 6, 2011 5:17 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
And the funniest thing about this story is that his wife who works at the local hospital in Derry, Parkland Hospital, apparently doesn't trust the locals to deliver her baby.
11. Posted by Steve H. | January 6, 2011 5:17 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2011 05:17
12. Posted by Olsoljer | January 6, 2011 8:20 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
I hope it goes down as you state it.
There was a time that those in law enforcement were known as peace officers, and there is a big difference between a peace officer and a policeman.
12. Posted by Olsoljer | January 6, 2011 8:20 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2011 08:20
13. Posted by John S | January 6, 2011 11:57 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Look at it this way. I293 was built in the 1960s. It was designed to be driven at 65mph legally in an era when cars had no seat belts, drum brakes, and leaf spring suspension. Given a margin of safety, that means that section of road was perfectly safe at 95mph in those American-made pieces of shit I used to drive 40 years ago.
Given modern automotive technology, with no other traffic I293 is perfectly safe at 150mph. (Although a Kia might be pushing it.) As you know, ambient speed during the afternoon rush is 80mph bumper-to-bumper. The current 55mph speed limit there is completely artificial, created by dumbass Democrats in Congress during the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo.
13. Posted by John S | January 6, 2011 11:57 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2011 11:57
14. Posted by Constitution First | January 6, 2011 12:38 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Reminds me a a tragic story that happened in Billerica in the 1960's:
A doctor (no less) was rushing his wife to the delivery room heading across the Nutting Lake Causeway (about 1/4 mile, straight & level) in daylight & fair weather, when he struck and killed a young boy crossing the street. He was cited, he didn't fight it.
How fast is too fast? That depends... It's a judgement call to be sure. No matter the urgency, you or your loved one's life never trumps another's.
14. Posted by Constitution First | January 6, 2011 12:38 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2011 12:38
15. Posted by Princess Bernie | January 7, 2011 2:02 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
He should have called 911 from home and had the paramedics take her to the hospital if it was that much of an emergency. He deserves the ticket.
15. Posted by Princess Bernie | January 7, 2011 2:02 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 7, 2011 14:02