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Deputy Involved In Wreck, Cantonment Teen Uninjured
June 22, 2010
There were no serious injuries in a Monday wreck involving an Escambia County Sheriff’s cruiser and two other vehicles, including one driven by a North Escambia teen.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Angela Maddox, 61, of Pensacola was stopped due to traffic on Westside Drive’s southbound side in 1990 Lincoln. A marked Sheriff’s Office cruiser driven by Robert R. Way, 48, was southbound in the northbound lane with its emergency lights activated. That’s when, FHP said, Maddow turned into the path the Sheriff’s cruiser at 4:24 p.m..
After the impact, Maddox’s vehicle collided with a 2003 Ford driven by Alyson Shoemaker, 17, of Cantonment. Shoemaker was also stopped due to traffic on Westside Drive near Nine Mile Road. Shoemaker and her passenger, Britany N. Ford, 16, of Pensacola, were not injured. Shoemaker’s vehicle had an estimated $50 in damage, according to the FHP. Shoemaker was not at fault in the accident, according to the FHP.
Maddox received minor injuries and was transported to West Florida Hospital. Way was not injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol charged Maddox with improper change of course.
Comments
14 Responses to “Deputy Involved In Wreck, Cantonment Teen Uninjured”
Let’s review one more time – the officer was going neither north or south bound, the accident occurred in an INTERSECTION en route to a bank robbery. The citation (should have been a ticket) absolutely went to the right person. ALWAYS MOVE TO THE RIGHT FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES! Big B I assure you that there was more than $50 damage to the deputy’s car. Cecil B sense you agree with Al, I hope that you are not in need of emergency services anytime soon! i am sure that you and Al would be the first to call 911 and then complain because the officers did not arrive fast enough..it is beyond me what some people think with. God bless the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department!!!!
s
Big Al…..pls quit thinking……pls……just quit thinking!!!!!
David is right. When I was learning to drive, the point was defensive driving. I was taught in driving school that if you have the right of way, but could have stopped an accident from occurring, but failed to do so, then you will be at fault. Such as it is, since Florida is a no-fault state.
Just use common sense, defensive driving techniques, and to all of you fault finders, just drive that way…looking to the other person to see what the may be doing wrong…
at least you’ll be looking.
For those who think the officer needed the citation…Let me give you some clarification on the matter! You were not there and do not know what happened….He was going down the wrong way because the Northbound Lane was “BLOCKED” by the fire department water hoses. Did you ever think that could happen? It takes ALOT of commen sense too realize that there was a reason for his judgement. While you are at home sitting in the A/C passing judgement and these Deputies are out on the street directing traffic in the 95 degree heat! If she was paying attention and not trying to do an illegal U-turn then there probably would have not been an accident. And yes the officer was injured while he was using due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway!
Im with Big Al on this one. Seems to me like the ticket went to the wrong person as usual. It seems like everytime the police find themselves in a pinch they immediately find someway to push it off on someone else. and I guess they just so happened to find someone. Trust me Im taking a wild guess at this and saying that 1% of all cops are honest. Thats just the way it is. They have that authority and they decide that they can do whatever the heck they want. And 99% percent of the time they always get away with it. Its sad really.
REGARDING:
“Emergency vehicles have the right of way… period.”
Actually, the way it was explained to us way back when we were learning to drive is that we are to yield the right of way. If someone does not yield the right of way, we should still not drive over them if we can avoid it.
This also applies to everybody at STOP signs and YIELD signs. If you come up to one and you are supposed to have the right of way but you notice the other folks aren’t paying attention or slowing, don’t be a hero–let them NOT yield the right of way to you rather than have them run into you. Gripe afterward if it makes you happy.
It beats being dead right.
And to those who seem to forget vehicles aren’t self-driving: You can usually see the drivers in the other vehicles. Look at their faces to get an idea of what they are about to do.
Are they looking your way? Have they even noticed you or the STOP sign?
Are they chilling out to the beat of their wonderful music which is shaking their rolling sound system?
Are they involved in a philosophical discussion with friends in the car or at the other end of their cell phone connection?
Are they distracted by the previous wreck or the road construction or even some long legged woman with a short dress on? (My poor uncle had to explain that on the accident report to his wife even though it seemed funny at the time since nobody was hurt in the fender-bender. I won’t testify as to what happened when she found out but knots heal.)
Road hazards come in many shapes and forms, some more pleasant than others but all hazardous.
It’s all part of driving
David for paying attention
to those who aren’t paying attention
to you
I have driven fire engines on a professional basis for over 20 years. As I understand my responsibility according to Florida law when I am responding to a call I must use lights and sirens. By using those devices I am ASKING for others to yeild the right of way,and they are required to give it. You MUST give the public time to notice you and safely leave the roadway. Also, I am only allowed to exceed the posted speed limit by 10 mph. Luckily I have never had an accident while driving in congested traffic but as someone suggested, a little common sense goes along way when defensive driving a 40 thousand pound firetruck in crazy Pensacola traffic. My worse nightmare would be to kill someone with that thing.
No one disputes the fact that emergency vehicles operating in the emergency mode have the right of way… However, operators of emergency vehicles must drive with some common sense. Driving down the wrong side of the road for a traffic jam doesn’t meet the sanity check of using “due care.” Besides, Nine Mile Road re-opened at 4:15 p.m. and this crash occurred at 4:24 p.m. on a side street.
Furthermore, here’s an excerpt Florida law concerning emergency vehicles (with a link provided):
316.126 Operation of vehicles and actions of pedestrians on approach of authorized emergency vehicle.–
(1)(a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle, while en route to meet an existing emergency, the driver of every other vehicle shall, when such emergency vehicle is giving audible signals by siren, exhaust whistle, or other adequate device, or visible signals by the use of displayed blue or red lights, yield the right-of-way to the emergency vehicle…
This section does not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway.
http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0316/SEC126.HTM&Title=->2009->Ch0316->Section%20126#0316.126
I like how everyone automatically starts blaming LEO when something like this happens. Emerygency vehicles have the right of way… period. I am sure that any of you would like the responders to do whatever it takes to get to YOUR emergency. The correct person was ticketed. Always look both ways before you turn!
LOL it is all well and good to bash the LEO now… but let something be happening at YOUR house, then you’ll all be here whining about you can’t depend on LEOs for anything.
Emergency vehicles have the right of way…. turn down the radio, put your AC on low, crack your window so your “sound proof” car can hear them coming. Don’t “assume” anything on the road – we covered that in my 10th grade drivers ed class 20yrs ago.
He was mostly likely involved in this:
http://www.northescambia.com/?p=19939
Westside Drive would have been one of the detour roads for the Nine Mile closure.
estimated $50 in damage……You can’t replace a tail light cover for that. Oh well, maybe it was just a scratch.
What was the emergency if the deputy had to drive southbound in the northbound lane with emergency lights on? What about the siren, was it on too? From the description in the story it doesn’t sound like the patrol officer was driving with regard to other traffic by driving down the wrong side of the road and for what good reason?
Does the article say the Deputy was SOUTHBOUND in the NORTHBOUND Lane? What was he thinking?? If the lady looked north and saw no one comming I guess she assumed no one would be driving the wrong way in the southbound lane. Seems to me like the ticket went to the wrong person.