Friend failed to pull over promptly, speeding 45 in a 25 zone

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Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
If your friend thought it was a fire engine and didn't pull over, he deserved a ticket more than if he thought it was a police car. Failure to yield to an emergency vehicle is one of the worst offenses you can commit in a car IMO, because it really could mean the difference between life and death for someone.
 

labgeek

Platinum Member
Jan 20, 2002
2,163
0
0
Originally posted by: zendari
Friend and I are driving home from seeing Star Wars ep 3. We are having a conversation about the movie, driving through a 25 mph residental zone.

...
45 mph in a 25 mph zone
...

A bit more about the road itself: It really is a wide, long road that everyone speeds on because 25 mph is ridiculous for it.

See the bolded word... 45 in a RESIDENTIAL area is ridiculous...

He should pay the tickets, and pray that they don't yank his license. In LA, they could have added reckless endangerment to that list to for 20 over in a residential area.
 

zendari

Banned
May 27, 2005
6,558
0
0
Originally posted by: mcvickj
It doesn't matter if its Fire, Police, Ambulance, ect. You slow down and move over immediately. In certain situations seconds count and if the emergency veichle is slowed down because of idiot drivers that could cost a life.

I understand that. He did slow down and move over. When the cop (that he thought was a firetruck) didnt go past he got confused.

See the bolded word... 45 in a RESIDENTIAL area is ridiculous
By residential, it means 2 houses and 1 church in the halfmile stretch.:roll: I'm not talking an apartment complex or anything.
 

allisolm

Elite Member
Administrator
Jan 2, 2001
25,360
5,062
136
Originally posted by: zendari
Originally posted by: mcvickj
It doesn't matter if its Fire, Police, Ambulance, ect. You slow down and move over immediately. In certain situations seconds count and if the emergency veichle is slowed down because of idiot drivers that could cost a life.

I understand that. He did slow down and move over. When the cop (that he thought was a firetruck) didnt go past he got confused.

LOL
Your story changes with every post.

The original "He did not in any way really give an intention to pull over" became "He did slow down and move over."

"I'd estimate him going about 35 mph" became "more like 35-40."

You don't have to convince us (and you aren't). He has to convince a judge. Good luck to you both!
 

labgeek

Platinum Member
Jan 20, 2002
2,163
0
0
Originally posted by: zendari
By residential, it means 2 houses and 1 church in the halfmile stretch.:roll: I'm not talking an apartment complex or anything.

houses/churches = RESIDENTIAL = CHILDREN = dumbass drivers speeding and hitting them.


I worked fire/rescue/ems... Saw too many morons not thinking and taking other innocent lives or harming them for no other reason that stupidity...
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
A bit more about the road itself: It really is a wide, long road that everyone speeds on because 25 mph is ridiculous for it. It's one of those rodes that just about everyone speeds on, and comps camp out intentionally. Just about everyone I know whose gotten pulled over has done so there.
I don't slight him in the least for the speeding. I haven't seen the area, but I live next to a 20 mph zone and passed a cop, waiting for speeders, yesterday at 35 (probably 40 was his cut off). He didn't stop me because he knows full well nobody can go 20 in that zone. It's utterly asinine. Another 20 mph zone by my house had everybody chronically speeding and they raised the limit up to a more reasonable 30.
If the road is set for 25mph, it is that way because of a safety specification, and is not rediculuosly low for your friend to drive 45mph.
No. Absolutely nothing changed on the road by my house when it went to a 30 mph zone, besides the stop signs. Don't for a minute think that speed limits are set up by teams of physicists who've run various cars through the zone to identify the peak safe speed. It's just some guy who probably drives through once, picks his nose, and writes the speed on a piece of paper.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,594
991
126
Originally posted by: FallenHero
Originally posted by: DPK
Last year my girlfriend got pulled over for not having her headlights on. That's a simple mistake that most of us have done before but in this case the cop was a real d*ckhead about. My girlfriend drove down the road a bit and pulled into a Taco Bell parking lot because it was safer then doing so on the busier road. She eventually had FOUR cop cars there in the parking lot with her and the officer kept his tough guy attitude the entire time, even after it was obvious that she wasn't a threat. The jackass still gave her a ticket to go with the attitude and we got the judge to throw it out.

I suggest you tell the judge that you were looking for a reasonable place to pull over.

So you suggest lying in a court of law?

Fvck yeah! Who the hell doesn't lie in a court of law? Defendants lie, lawyers lie, witnesses lie...How old are you anyway that you don't know this yet?
 

squirrel dog

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
5,564
48
91
Go to court(unless you or dear ole Dad knows someone)and plead guilty with a statement . The Judge will say go on , and tell your side of what happened . Ask for the 894 to keep ticket(s) off the record of the driver . And wake the f up .
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,825
5,997
146
Originally posted by: allisolm
1. He didn't pull over becauses he thought the flashing lights were from a fire truck.

2. He was driving 45 (or about 35 or 35-40) on a road where he knows the speed limit is 25, where he knows everyone gets a ticket, where he knows the police camp out.

He might just get away with this if he tells the judge those two things as the judge might take pity on anyone that stupid. :laugh:

Zing!
 

zendari

Banned
May 27, 2005
6,558
0
0
Originally posted by: allisolm
Originally posted by: zendari
Originally posted by: mcvickj
It doesn't matter if its Fire, Police, Ambulance, ect. You slow down and move over immediately. In certain situations seconds count and if the emergency veichle is slowed down because of idiot drivers that could cost a life.

I understand that. He did slow down and move over. When the cop (that he thought was a firetruck) didnt go past he got confused.

LOL
Your story changes with every post.

The original "He did not in any way really give an intention to pull over" became "He did slow down and move over."

"I'd estimate him going about 35 mph" became "more like 35-40."

You don't have to convince us (and you aren't). He has to convince a judge. Good luck to you both!

How is that changing the story? He slowed down yes, but he didn't stop, nor did he signal in any way. The bottom line is that he was NOT going 45 mph, even reducing that to 44 cuts the fine in half.

It's not my goal to convince you, a bit of advice from some people who have been in this situation (who aren't parents) is helpful.

Just out of curiousity, what kind of car was he driving?
1994 Nissan Quest minivan
 

zendari

Banned
May 27, 2005
6,558
0
0
Originally posted by: squirrel dog
Go to court(unless you or dear ole Dad knows someone)and plead guilty with a statement . The Judge will say go on , and tell your side of what happened . Ask for the 894 to keep ticket(s) off the record of the driver . And wake the f up .

What is the 894? I'm not familiar with it.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
0
alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: FallenHero
Originally posted by: DPK
Last year my girlfriend got pulled over for not having her headlights on. That's a simple mistake that most of us have done before but in this case the cop was a real d*ckhead about. My girlfriend drove down the road a bit and pulled into a Taco Bell parking lot because it was safer then doing so on the busier road. She eventually had FOUR cop cars there in the parking lot with her and the officer kept his tough guy attitude the entire time, even after it was obvious that she wasn't a threat. The jackass still gave her a ticket to go with the attitude and we got the judge to throw it out.

I suggest you tell the judge that you were looking for a reasonable place to pull over.

So you suggest lying in a court of law?

lawyers always suggest telling YOUR version of what happened ;)
[the cop will tell his and the JUDGE will determine the "truth"]

#1) If you can afford it, get a lawyer for real legal advice
#2) if you cannot, get your [friend's] story and "excuses" completely and logically worked out was to "why" you failed to stop "for 30 seconds".
#3) i guess you are admitting guilt about the reason for being pulled over - just NOT admitting "failure to yield" to an emergency vehicle.

PRACTICE what you will say to the judge [over and over] have an older adult be CRITICAL . . . remember, the officer will be there if you decide to go to a "trial"

Learn from this error. NEXT TIME the cops lights come on behind you, put your turn signal on IMMEDIATELY to awknowledge his presence and look for the 1st safe place to pull over.

i bet it took longer than 30 seconds. ;)
:roll:
 

zendari

Banned
May 27, 2005
6,558
0
0
Thanks appopin.

He will surely talk to a lawyer at some point (his dad knows a couple), whether he will have one in court will be decided later.

Both of us have surely learned from this experience.
 

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
Originally posted by: Skoorb
If the road is set for 25mph, it is that way because of a safety specification, and is not rediculuosly low for your friend to drive 45mph.
No. Absolutely nothing changed on the road by my house when it went to a 30 mph zone, besides the stop signs. Don't for a minute think that speed limits are set up by teams of physicists who've run various cars through the zone to identify the peak safe speed. It's just some guy who probably drives through once, picks his nose, and writes the speed on a piece of paper.
ROFL!!!
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
0
alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: zendari
Thanks appopin.

We will surely talk to a lawyer at some point (his dad knows a couple), whether we will have one in court will be decided later.

Both of us have surely learned from this experience.

good luck . . . and please update this [in a month or so] when you get the verdict.
 

CRXican

Diamond Member
Jun 9, 2004
9,062
1
0
noob driver gets scared and doesn't stop right away, don't be too hard on him

After driving for about 5 years (I'm 21 now) I know when I'm about to be pulled over before it even happens. The bastards around here like to follow you for quite some time and I get annoyed just waiting for it. I'm always tempted to do something crazy to get them to flip on the lights right away.
 

dmcowen674

No Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
54,889
47
91
www.alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: zendari
Thanks appopin.

We will surely talk to a lawyer at some point (his dad knows a couple), whether we will have one in court will be decided later.

Both of us have surely learned from this experience.

You both weren't jailed.

You haven't experienced or learned squat yet.

A Grandmother with her grandkids in the car was just jailed here because here Tag expired. That's learning and experience.


 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,128
781
126
I pissed off a cop in New Mexico for not pulling over fast enough. We were out in the sticks with tall, dead grass all over the shoulders. I found a driveway about a mile down and pulled into it. He yells at me for not pulling over sooner and I told him I didn't want to start a grass fire with my catalytic converter. He got an "oh ya" look on his face and wrote me for 85 in a 55. I was going about 110.
 

narzy

Elite Member
Feb 26, 2000
7,006
1
81
if it truely was 30 seconds, he probably shouldn't have gotten the second ticket, I would get the dash cam from the cop car as evidence to present at the trial, that should get it kicked right off the bat. as for 45 in a 25, kinda hard to get out of that. but go back and inspect the speed limit signs for damage or obstruction even if you did clearly see them / have prior knowlage of the speed in that area, you could probably get the speeding ticket kicked if the signs are blocked / screwed up. DON'T take a bat to them however as that will get you yet another charge...
 

BrianA

Member
Sep 29, 2000
164
0
0
Originally posted by: zendari
How is that changing the story? He slowed down yes, but he didn't stop, nor did he signal in any way. The bottom line is that he was NOT going 45 mph, even reducing that to 44 cuts the fine in half.

You may not be changing your story, but I really REALLY think we're not getting ALL of the story. And you KNOW he was not going 45 because you were looking right at his speedometer the whole time, right? :roll:

And here's a news flash for your friend. In most states its not "slow down when you see fire truck / emergency vehicle lights", it's "pull over and stop". Had he done this, he wouldn't be in trouble now.

Originally posted by: zendari
We will surely talk to a lawyer at some point (his dad knows a couple), whether we will have one in court will be decided later.

Both of us have surely learned from this experience.

I'm confused. Why do you need a lawyer? Since when do passengers get tickets when the driver is speeding?

Again, I think we're missing part of the story here.


Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
"not a bad driver" != 20mph over speed limit
"not a bad driver" != panicking
"not a bad driver" != failing to pull over for flashing lights

If he can't handle the car, can't obey speed limits and can't handle these situations as they arise he doesn't belong behind the wheel.

Exactly. Your friend may not realize it, but HE IS A BAD DRIVER.