• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

I got a speeding ticket while trying to get to my mother in the hospital.

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ray Wonder

Founder of the Wounded Tagless Children
Monday morning at 8:59 am EST I received a call from my sister. She tells me that my mother is having severe crushing chest pain, and she is being rushed to the hospital. I'm about a 45 minute drive from where she was taken. I ran out of work, hopped in my car, and I floored it. The whole time I'm bawling my eyes out because I literally have no idea if I'm racing the clock to see my mother alive for the last time. Probably the scariest moment of my life (pretty close to being in my house when an invader came in to rob it with me at gunpoint). About 20 minutes into driving there, I get pulled over. I was going 75 in a 40. The cop notices that I'm crying like a bitch. I told him I have to get to my mom in the hospital because she may have had a heart attack. He takes my license and walks to his car. About 5 minutes later he comes back with a ticket. It's for $250 dollars. He tells me that the speed I was going results in an automatic suspended license. BUT, if I can bring proof that my mother was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance he will knock it down. He shooed me on my way, and told me to slow it down. I got to the hospital, and she's fine. She's sitting up with the rest of my family around her laughing. They all live within 5 minutes of the hospital. None of them thought to call me. They could've saved me $250. That's not what I'm getting at here though.

TL;DR: Mom went to hospital, I got a big ticket for rushing there.

My question is:

Has anybody else had a justified reason to speed, and once you went to the magistrate with your ticket, they threw out the case?
 

Petrie

Banned
Has anybody else had a justified reason to speed, and once you went to the magistrate with your ticket, they threw out the case?

Probably not going to happen because in reality there was no reason for you to be driving that fast. Your mother wasn't in the car with you needing to be rushed to the hospital, so there's no real justification.
 

Ray Wonder

Founder of the Wounded Tagless Children
Probably not going to happen because in reality there was no reason for you to be driving that fast. Your mother wasn't in the car with you needing to be rushed to the hospital, so there's no real justification.

I'll quote myself.

I literally have no idea if I'm racing the clock to see my mother alive for the last time.
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
You were going at dangerous speeds risking other people going to the hospital because you wanted to get there a few minutes quicker.
 

Petrie

Banned
I'll quote myself.

That isn't going to change anything. I know that isn't what you want to hear, but that's the reality.

You aren't a doctor, so if your mother was having a heart attack you wouldn't be able to see her anyways as the doctors would be trying to take care of her. You acted irresponsibly and risked lives.
 

depths20XX

Member
Sorry dude but your example isn't a good reason to speed. You were putting others in danger and that was dumb of you.
 
A lot of No Sympy people here, I see!

They probably won't throw out the case, but they may not throw an entire hammer at you
 
Yeah that excuse ain't going to cut it.

You might not have to pay it anyway when the cop doesn't show up, or if the judge is nice.

But it's still not a reason to speed, it sucks but it is what it is.
 

Ray Wonder

Founder of the Wounded Tagless Children
You were going at dangerous speeds risking other people going to the hospital because you wanted to get there a few minutes quicker.

I only sped when I felt it was safe. There really wasn't anyone around, and It was a 4 lane road with only 3-4 cars on it.
 
I haven't been in this situation myself, BUT if you do show up for your court date with the documentation proving that your mother was in the hospital and that's why you were speeding....they may lower the charges at least so you can avoid a suspended license and getting points on it as well. I would be very surprised if they threw the whole thing out though.
 
D

Deleted member 47027

Unconfirmed Member
I know it sucks, but yeah, you can't endanger others. There's really no way out of this. The ticket happened - pay it and move on.
 

rude

Banned
75 in a 40? You could've killed someone; the world can't stop for you only (especially if you aren't actually transporting anyone to a hospital). A court might be sympathetic.
 
I'll quote myself.
You were risking your life and the lives of others. No justification.

Edit: There is NEVER a reason to speed to a hospital to see a person alive for the last time.

1) If it's a medical emergency, then the person is in the operating room/cath lab/ICU undergoing a major intervention. You're going to be seeing jack shit because people are working on her. You'll be waiting in the waiting room until after the intervention is done. Even if you were going 120 mph and didn't get pulled over, the medical workers weren't going to be waiting for you before wheeling her away

2) If the person is stable, then the person is fucking stable and ain't going anywhere. You can still see her alive.

3) If the person was in hospice waiting for death, that decision was made hours/days ago and you would've had plenty of time to get the heads up.
 
He may have put himself and others in danger, but nothing bad technically happened. I'd say that he has a chance of getting it removed if he can show sufficient proof of circumstantial mental distress (which would be in fact, the papers about her stay at the hospital matching the speeding)
 
LMAO @ the "OMG you endangered us all".

Yes, the speeding was justified. It's your mother. I'd do the exact same. Fuck the ticket. I'd go to court and fight it and explain the situation to a judge.

Moral absolutism goes out the window when it comes to your mother. Ideally wait for an ambulance but if there's not time you do what you have to for your family.
 

TheOMan

Tagged as I see fit
I had something similar happen to me (although the person I was taking to the hospital was in the car with me, so...) and I explained it to the judge. Case dismissed.
 

Petrie

Banned
A lot of No Sympy people here, I see!

They probably won't throw out the case, but they may not throw an entire hammer at you

Yeah that excuse ain't going to cut it.

You might not have to pay it anyway when the cop doesn't show up, or if the judge is nice.

But it's still not a reason to speed, it sucks but it is what it is.

Yea. He might get a sympathetic judge, but the more likely result will be the punishment will be handed down as it would in any other situation. Your mother being taken to the hospital won't cut it.

I had something similar happen to me (although the person I was taking to the hospital was in the car with me, so...) and I explained it to the judge. Case dismissed.

This is not similar at all.
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
LMAO @ the "OMG you endangered us all".

Yes, the speeding was justified. It's your mother. I'd do the exact same. Fuck the ticket. I'd go to court and fight it and explain the situation to a judge.

Moral absolutism goes out the window when it comes to your mother. Ideally wait for an ambulance but if there's not time you do what you have to for your family.


You need to read the op.
 

The_Poet

Banned
I would have sped too.

The thing is you dont actually get places that much faster by speeding, theres some maths somewhere proving it.
 
I'll quote myself.

So your response is to put others in danger?

70 in a 45 isnt "just speeding" its wildly reckless.

Especially because of your state of mind, which made it even more dangerous.

If she was bleeding out in your back seat? Maybe.

But that wasnt the case.

Youre lucky you werent charged with reckless endangerment. The cop let you off with "just" a ticket.
 

Zoe

Member
LMAO @ the "OMG you endangered us all".

Yes, the speeding was justified. It's your mother. I'd do the exact same. Fuck the ticket. I'd go to court and fight it and explain the situation to a judge.

Moral absolutism goes out the window when it comes to your mother. Ideally wait for an ambulance but if there's not time you do what you have to for your family.

He was speeding to see his mother, not to take her there.
 
That isn't going to change anything. I know that isn't what you want to hear, but that's the reality.

You aren't a doctor, so if your mother was having a heart attack you wouldn't be able to see her anyways as the doctors would be trying to take care of her. You acted irresponsibly and risked lives.
The world isn't as cold and unfeeling as some believe, OP. Sympathy exists, and it's likely you'll get it and have that ticket knocked down.

Edit:
Oh wow, I didn't expect to be in the minority. If it was my last chance to see my mother alive, I'd speed.
 

Dr.Guru of Peru

played the long game
I feel for you, but you shouldn't have done it. Risking the lives of others is not a justification to speed, even if you think you may never see your mother again.

The people you may have killed wouldn't have had the ability to see their loved ones either before they died.
 

Lamel

Banned
Yes OP was acting irrationally, but I completely understand why. That's a terrible situation to be in.
 

Petrie

Banned
LMAO @ the "OMG you endangered us all".

Yes, the speeding was justified. It's your mother. I'd do the exact same. Fuck the ticket. I'd go to court and fight it and explain the situation to a judge.

Moral absolutism goes out the window when it comes to your mother. Ideally wait for an ambulance but if there's not time you do what you have to for your family.

So you didn't bother to read?

Mother wasn't in the car.

Read the OP next time, thanks.
 

Risible

Member
I only sped when I felt it was safe. There really wasn't anyone around, and It was a 4 lane road with only 3-4 cars on it.

75 in a 40 is way too fast. I understand your distress, but if you're bawling your eyes out AND going almost double the speed limit that's pretty unwise. Sorry. Glad to hear your mom's OK.
 
I'd go to court and explain the situation, providing some sort of documentation as proof. See what happens.

I got to the hospital, and she's fine. She's sitting up with the rest of my family around her laughing. They all live within 5 minutes of the hospital. None of them thought to call me. They could've saved me $250. That's not what I'm getting at here though.

Not for nothing, that's pretty messed up.
 
Show up at court. Explain everything and show proof that your mother was in the hospital. Most likely the officer that issued you the ticket won't show and they'll throw the ticket out.
 

Ray Wonder

Founder of the Wounded Tagless Children
Can you expand on this? Sounds pretty wild.

It was literally about 45 seconds long. No ones home with me. I hear a noise. I walk down stairs. A guy points a gun at me and tells me to turn around. He runs out the door. That's it.
 
the only thing OP should keep in mind is that the best way to see his mother is not in heaven. Of course we have feelings (read impulses) and it's hard to be always rational.
 

ItIsOkBro

Member
So not only were you speeding but if you were " bawling" your eyes out then clearly you couldn't even think straight or see properly.
 
You need to read the op.

Yea, Not sure how I missed that. But dammit...sorry. With that said, I'd still be in a rush. 75mph isn't the end of the world. Unless you're drunk. But a decent straightaway....I'd punch it.

So you didn't bother to read?

Mother wasn't in the car.

Read the OP next time, thanks.

I skimmed lightly and missed a detail.

No need to be condescending about it, I apologized. Sorry if that's not good enough for you random internet person.

Thanks champ!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom