Reckless driving puts county firefighters at risk and ends with an arrest

Special to the Post

Yellowhead County Firefighters and other first responders’ safety was put in jeopardy this week from a careless driver not stopping at a motor vehicle collision scene.

RCMP, Associated Ambulance, Yellowhead County firefighters and a STARS helicopter crew had responded to a severe motor vehicle collision on Highway 748 north-east of Edson this past Monday (May 16). Paramedic crews had departed, with fire crews and RCMP members remaining on scene to pack up equipment and secure the area, when a vehicle travelling along the highway did not take the required precautions to stop at the motor vehicle collision scene. The driver of the vehicle proceeded past a RCMP road block and drove through the scene with no regard for the safety of first responders. The driver had been placed in police custody.

“A driver coming along at this speed through an emergency scene not only puts himself at risk, but all the first responders on the scene working to rescue those already involved in the crash,” points out Director of Protective Services for Yellowhead County Albert Bahri. “If the driver had been coming through the incident scene just minutes before this there would have been a very good chance he could have gone straight into the STARS helicopter that was on the highway. These scenes are stressful enough without something like this happening”

Drivers approaching and going through a response scene are legally required to slow down and follow the emergency responders directing traffic on scene and can be charged if not complying with these safety measures. Firefighters already have many risks to deal with and having this additional threat can multiply their odds of injury or fatality during a response call.