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Speeding paramedic knocks down cyclist
9:20pm Wednesday 27th June 2007
A cyclist was tonight being treated in hospital after he was knocked down by a paramedic unit speeding to an emergency.
The man, who has not been named, was on his bike on Shaftesbury Avenue in Worthing when he was struck by the fast response car.
He was rushed to hospital but police this evening said his injuries were not life threatening.
The paramedic had been travelling at speed along the road at 7pm when the driver tried to overtake a slower-moving vehicle on the same side of the road.
As the response vehicle moved out it is believed it was struck by a car pulling out of Worthing Leisure Centre and flew across the carriageway, striking the cyclist.
Your Say YourArgus
Fish, Brighton says...
1:21am Thu 28 Jun 07
me, says...
8:07am Thu 28 Jun 07
expect picture of ambulances parked on double yellow lines soon - where the RTC/collapse its attending is carfully ignored/photoshopped out :)
ken, gloucester says...
8:57am Thu 28 Jun 07
We have seen figures recently about the number of Police vehicles damaged, does anyone have the figure for 'response cars' which are not ambulances, as they are not converted or built to carry recumbent patients, so should not be running on blue lights.
Andy R, Hove says...
9:05am Thu 28 Jun 07
ken wrote:How do you arrive at that strange conclusion?
Yet another accident involving a 'rapid response car' form the Ambulance Service. We have seen figures recently about the number of Police vehicles damaged, does anyone have the figure for 'response cars' which are not ambulances, as they are not converted or built to carry recumbent patients, so should not be running on blue lights.
Rob, Shoreham says...
9:25am Thu 28 Jun 07
ken wrote:Oh Dear....
Yet another accident involving a \'rapid response car\' form the Ambulance Service. We have seen figures recently about the number of Police vehicles damaged, does anyone have the figure for \'response cars\' which are not ambulances, as they are not converted or built to carry recumbent patients, so should not be running on blue lights.
Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989
Any vehicle classed as an emergency vehicle can be fitted with and use blue lights. This includes, among many others:
"(a) a vehicle used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes"
It has nothing to do with whether the vehicle is officially an ambulance or not.
LB, Hove says...
9:32am Thu 28 Jun 07
couple of points MrCrip;
1) the cyclist appears to have been an innocent party in this whole thing.
2) the law has recently been clarified to state that a person pushing a bicycle is a pedestrian and can use footpaths, pedestrian crossigns etc in the same way as other people on foot.
3) some poor sod ending up in hospital after being struck by a car is hardly the best opportunity for you to bang your drum about forcing cyclists to pay insurance - perhaps if the cyclist had run over a kid on a zebra criossing you might have had a point.
4) if you're going to use other peoples misery as an opportunity to promote your own blog at least learn to paste a url that works.
jim, brighton says...
9:44am Thu 28 Jun 07
I certainly don't agree with "anon ambo" or "me". The headline is accurate even if there were mitigating circumstances - and that's pretty clear almost straight away from the article. and if anything The Argus is a bit too soft on the police. How often is no name given when someone is arrested? Or when someone is charged? Or when a police vehicle is involved in a collision? I've got a quite a few friends who are serving officers or support workers yet I sense an arrogance and lack of accountability which the dear old Argus just seems to accept at face value.
We pay more than ever for our policing - look at your council tax bill. Then ask what more we get that we didn't get 10 or 20 years back.
As for responding to 999 calls, the law of the road still applies. Same with parking. A less arrogant example by some would bring a more supportive response from people like me.
LB, Hove says...
9:51am Thu 28 Jun 07
A lurid flourescent paint job and the word 'Paramedic' plastered all over the car can be a bit of a clue, though.
Rob, Shoreham says...
9:59am Thu 28 Jun 07
jim wrote:Accidents happen under all circumstances. Yes the risk will be raised by an amulance service vehicle exceeding the speed limit to attend an emergency. It will also be mitigated by the high visibility and lights/ siren combination. As has already been said it reads like the fault lies with a virtually deaf and blind driver who pulled out and caused an accident, which the cyclist got caught up in. People get caught up in accidents whether they involve blue lights or not, sadly.
Rob, it may be allowed but it doesn\'t make it right. There are so many cars with blue lights on that don\'t look like emergency service vehicles, it leaves some of us less trusting about what is genuinely a 999 vehicle. I certainly don\'t agree with \"anon ambo\" or \"me\". The headline is accurate even if there were mitigating circumstances - and that\'s pretty clear almost straight away from the article. and if anything The Argus is a bit too soft on the police. How often is no name given when someone is arrested? Or when someone is charged? Or when a police vehicle is involved in a collision? I\'ve got a quite a few friends who are serving officers or support workers yet I sense an arrogance and lack of accountability which the dear old Argus just seems to accept at face value. We pay more than ever for our policing - look at your council tax bill. Then ask what more we get that we didn\'t get 10 or 20 years back. As for responding to 999 calls, the law of the road still applies. Same with parking. A less arrogant example by some would bring a more supportive response from people like me.
I can't see why people want to chastise ambulance personnel for driving as they are entitled, equipped, required and trained to do when someone else causes an accident.
me, says...
10:36am Thu 28 Jun 07
for starters this vehicle is unlike other road users - its a specific EU shade of yellow, with battenburg pattern down the side of it. it is used to act as a 1st responder - no ambulances available or nobody close enough, and aslo to back up an ambulance crew if say its a Cardiac Arrest/complicated job.
by he way, this is how this collision is reported by the BBC - "Cyclist hurt in ambulance crash"
me, says...
10:39am Thu 28 Jun 07
ken, Gloucester says...
10:57am Thu 28 Jun 07
Rob wrote:The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulation Act must be combined with the Vehicle Construction And Use Act as regards Ambulance Use.
ken wrote: Yet another accident involving a \\\'rapid response car\\\' form the Ambulance Service. We have seen figures recently about the number of Police vehicles damaged, does anyone have the figure for \\\'response cars\\\' which are not ambulances, as they are not converted or built to carry recumbent patients, so should not be running on blue lights.Oh Dear.... Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 Any vehicle classed as an emergency vehicle can be fitted with and use blue lights. This includes, among many others: \"(a) a vehicle used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes\" It has nothing to do with whether the vehicle is officially an ambulance or not.
Rob, Worthing says...
11:32am Thu 28 Jun 07
Adam, Shoreham says...
12:34pm Thu 28 Jun 07
cycling and insured, B&H says...
12:42pm Thu 28 Jun 07
Daniel Hyndman, Falmer says...
1:01pm Thu 28 Jun 07
Ron, Shoreham says...
4:40pm Thu 28 Jun 07
ken wrote:Indeed. And section 87 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act which exempts vehicles used for ambulance purposes, "if the observance of that provision would be likely to hinder the use of the vehicle for the purpose for which it is being used on that occasion."
Rob wrote:The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulation Act must be combined with the Vehicle Construction And Use Act as regards Ambulance Use.ken wrote: Yet another accident involving a \\\'rapid response car\\\' form the Ambulance Service. We have seen figures recently about the number of Police vehicles damaged, does anyone have the figure for \\\'response cars\\\' which are not ambulances, as they are not converted or built to carry recumbent patients, so should not be running on blue lights.Oh Dear.... Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 Any vehicle classed as an emergency vehicle can be fitted with and use blue lights. This includes, among many others: \"(a) a vehicle used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes\" It has nothing to do with whether the vehicle is officially an ambulance or not.
Rob, Shoreham says...
4:43pm Thu 28 Jun 07
Phil, says...
8:20pm Thu 28 Jun 07
They are dammed if they do and dammed if they dont. There are more vehicles on the road than ever before - it causes more hazzards for response vehicles to observe and predict their movements. It's not an easy process - I would like to see you try.
Ever though what happened to the person this paramedic was enroute to? Was it an accident, an ill child, a heart attack victim that caused him to put the blue lights on? No I dont think so.
Jim - get your head out of the sand and stop watching Dixon of Dock Green. Things have changed in the last 20 years - think of the crimes that did not exist then and do now?
'Lack of Accountability' - sorry but you are out of touch with the modern world. Maybe 20 years ago - to the era you obviously hanker after - go and watch Dad's Army - you'll feel better then!!
1st timer, Brighton says...
9:47pm Thu 28 Jun 07
LB, Hove says...
7:47am Fri 29 Jun 07
MrCrip claimed he was (in the now deleted post) and that the whole thing would have been avoided had the cyclist been in possesion of a road tax disc.
Doublehard, UK says...
10:43am Tue 10 Jul 07
Grant Hitchcock, UK says...
10:45am Tue 10 Jul 07
m/blog/
stretchermunkey, Liverpool says...
1:29pm Wed 15 Aug 07
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anon ambo, sussex says...
11:39pm Wed 27 Jun 07