Ambulance driver guilty of traffic law violation – South Korea

Although ambulances are allowed to ignore traffic lights in emergency situations, a court found a driver of an ambulance carrying a patient guilty for causing an accident by violating traffic laws.

The Seoul Central District Court handed him a suspended sentence and fined him 2 million won ($1,784).

The driver, identified as Lee, who works at a fire station in Gyeonggi Province, ignored a red traffic light and collided with a car at an intersection in July in southern Seoul. At the time of accident, a pregnant woman was onboard the ambulance.

The accident caused the other driver a neck injury requiring a two-week treatment and caused the pregnant woman to suffer from early delivery pain and her amnion to burst.

Prosecutors indicted the ambulance driver, demanding he pay a 2 million won fine. The driver objected to the decision and filed a complaint with the court, claiming that it was an emergency situation.

In its ruling, the court said, “We doubt whether the situation was urgent enough for him to violate the signal as the pregnant woman didn’t express pain at that time.”

It added that Traffic Law allows cars in emergency situations to bypass traffic signals, but it doesn’t mean they fail to stop, ignoring pedestrians and other cars. “They are allowed to ignore signals only in urgent cases, otherwise they have to drive safely.”

Although ambulances are allowed to ignore traffic lights in emergency situations, a court found a driver of an ambulance carrying a patient guilty for causing an accident by violating traffic laws.

The Seoul Central District Court handed him a suspended sentence and fined him 2 million won ($1,784).

The driver, identified as Lee, who works at a fire station in Gyeonggi Province, ignored a red traffic light and collided with a car at an intersection in July in southern Seoul. At the time of accident, a pregnant woman was onboard the ambulance.

The accident caused the other driver a neck injury requiring a two-week treatment and caused the pregnant woman to suffer from early delivery pain and her amnion to burst.

Prosecutors indicted the ambulance driver, demanding he pay a 2 million won fine. The driver objected to the decision and filed a complaint with the court, claiming that it was an emergency situation.

In its ruling, the court said, “We doubt whether the situation was urgent enough for him to violate the signal as the pregnant woman didn’t express pain at that time.”

It added that Traffic Law allows cars in emergency situations to bypass traffic signals, but it doesn’t mean they fail to stop, ignoring pedestrians and other cars. “They are allowed to ignore signals only in urgent cases, otherwise they have to drive safely.”

Although ambulances are allowed to ignore traffic lights in emergency situations, a court found a driver of an ambulance carrying a patient guilty for causing an accident by violating traffic laws.

The Seoul Central District Court handed him a suspended sentence and fined him 2 million won ($1,784).

The driver, identified as Lee, who works at a fire station in Gyeonggi Province, ignored a red traffic light and collided with a car at an intersection in July in southern Seoul. At the time of accident, a pregnant woman was onboard the ambulance.

The accident caused the other driver a neck injury requiring a two-week treatment and caused the pregnant woman to suffer from early delivery pain and her amnion to burst.

Prosecutors indicted the ambulance driver, demanding he pay a 2 million won fine. The driver objected to the decision and filed a complaint with the court, claiming that it was an emergency situation.

In its ruling, the court said, “We doubt whether the situation was urgent enough for him to violate the signal as the pregnant woman didn’t express pain at that time.”

It added that Traffic Law allows cars in emergency situations to bypass traffic signals, but it doesn’t mean they fail to stop, ignoring pedestrians and other cars. “They are allowed to ignore signals only in urgent cases, otherwise they have to drive safely.”

Although ambulances are allowed to ignore traffic lights in emergency situations, a court found a driver of an ambulance carrying a patient guilty for causing an accident by violating traffic laws.

The Seoul Central District Court handed him a suspended sentence and fined him 2 million won ($1,784).

The driver, identified as Lee, who works at a fire station in Gyeonggi Province, ignored a red traffic light and collided with a car at an intersection in July in southern Seoul. At the time of accident, a pregnant woman was onboard the ambulance.

The accident caused the other driver a neck injury requiring a two-week treatment and caused the pregnant woman to suffer from early delivery pain and her amnion to burst.

Prosecutors indicted the ambulance driver, demanding he pay a 2 million won fine. The driver objected to the decision and filed a complaint with the court, claiming that it was an emergency situation.

In its ruling, the court said, “We doubt whether the situation was urgent enough for him to violate the signal as the pregnant woman didn’t express pain at that time.”

It added that Traffic Law allows cars in emergency situations to bypass traffic signals, but it doesn’t mean they fail to stop, ignoring pedestrians and other cars. “They are allowed to ignore signals only in urgent cases, otherwise they have to drive safely.”