A 27-Year-Old Ambulance Driver Was Taken To Court For Speeding At 90 Mph

An ambulance driver who was taken to court for speeding – while on a blue light emergency call – has branded the proceedings as ‘a waste of time’.

Matt Wood was on his way to Southampton Airport to pick up an ‘unstable’ patient arriving from Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, when he was clocked doing 90mph.

The 27-year-old, who was driving an unmarked ambulance, provided evidence he was responding to a medical emergency but was still prosecuted in what he has slammed as ’embarrassing’ proceedings.

After receiving a notice of intended prosecution, he had to attend Southampton Magistrates’ Court, where the case against him was eventually dismissed thanks to the evidence he provided.

Speaking afterwards, he said the prosecution was a ‘complete waste of time’. 

When the event occurred in January 2023, Mr Wood was employed by Criticare UK Ambulance Service.

He said: ‘I couldn’t believe it even got taken to court. It’s very odd this has happened.

‘I am pleased the case has been dropped but it is a waste of everyone’s time.

‘It’s embarrassing it has even got this far. I am hoping this won’t happen again.’

Hampshire Constabulary said records indicated the vehicle used was ‘not equipped to transport people and was not marked as an ambulance’.

When Mr Wood, a resident of Nursling, Hampshire, received the call to pick up the patient, he was in Portsmouth.

The case was pursued even after he gave Hampshire Constabulary and Driving Standards paperwork proving he was an ambulance driver.

He did deploy blue lights, however the emergency car he was driving was an unmarked Volvo.

Mr Wood continued: ‘Our vehicles must be unmarked as they are kept at our homes.

‘We serve the emergency flights from Guernsey – we don’t know in advance what time they will be arriving.

‘It was argued it was not an emergency as we should’ve known what time the flight would be arriving.

‘The patient was deemed to be an emergency case.

‘When the NIP was served on me, I didn’t know whether to laugh or not. It’s quite embarrassing, especially as it is our job.

‘Working in this field, my colleagues and I know there is a risk of this happening, not when it is clear cut.’

He added: ‘In these cases, we always make it clear to Driving Standards and the police who we are and what we are doing, and they tend to leave it alone, but not this time.

‘I am hoping this won’t happen again.’

A UNISON spokesperson said: ‘NHS vehicles equipped with blue lights have arrangements in place for handling speeding tickets when dealing with emergencies.

‘Ambulance workers can claim exemptions for going over the speed limit, but issues may arise if they’re in unmarked cars.’

The Crown Prosecution Service said a reviewing lawyer took the view the case should be brought to trial after police submitted a file of Mr Wood’s speeding.

A spokesperson added: ‘The CPS have a duty to continually review cases, and in light of Mr Woods’ evidence, the lawyer in court took the decision to offer no evidence and stop the prosecution.

‘The CPS does not decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but makes a fair, independent assessment about whether the case should be considered by a criminal court.’

Unless there is an emergency, an ambulance must abide by all traffic rules, especially those pertaining to speed limitations. An ambulance is exempt from adhering to some traffic restrictions, such as the speed limit, in an emergency.

We want these ambulance drivers to step on it and drive like the clappers when there’s an emergency and someone needs help immediately. The event should never have gone to court, and this was an absurd waste of taxpayer money.

People might not agree that an unmarked ambulance using blue lights is right when speeding, but if it were your family in the back of the ambulance and they were being rushed to the hospital because their condition was life-threatening they might think differently. When it’s somebody that they have no connection to, then people don’t seem to care.

This individual provided the court with his proof. The judge agreed, and the prosecution was a shameful waste of government funds and precious space. Story over!