By Caoimhinn Barr, Inishowen Independent
A NowDoc paramedic who rushed to help a dying man in
Inishowen has been issued with an €80 speeding fine
and given two penalty points on his licence.
The public health official, based in Carn, answered
an emergency phone call at 11.40pm and quickly set
off in the direction of Clonmany, where a man had
collapsed suddenly.
Travelling in the NowDoc jeep, the paramedic was
just a few minutes into his potentially life-saving
journey when he was photographed by a speed camera
van driving at 72kph in a 60kph zone along the
Churchtown Road in Carn.
The paramedic driver, who helped save another man’s
life on Buncrana Main Street two years ago, was
later issued with a postal fine and penalty points.
He subsequently paid the €80 tariff.
Under the current regulations, NowDoc vehicles are
not considered to be part of an emergency fleet and
drivers are bound by the same speeding restrictions
which apply to ordinary road users.
The only exceptions to speed limits here are
ambulances, fire brigades, Gardai and members of the
Gardai driving government Ministers. The incident
happened in August last, but only came to light this
week. Carn based GP, Dr. Ken Devlin said he thought
the fine was ‘very unfair’.
“We were surprised when he was fined because
traditionally local Gardai would have looked the
other way when they knew it was a doctor or health
worker rushing to an emergency,” he said.
“What upsets us most of all is that Inishowen only
has one ambulance on call from midnight to 8am and
if it is called away then we have to call on the
NowDoc [to attend emergencies],” Dr. Devlin added.
The Carn GP revealed that those driving NowDoc
vehicles have been ‘specifically’ warned that they
will be fined and ‘put off the road’ if they
accumulate enough penalty points while speeding to
emergencies.
Buncrana TD Padraig MacLochlainn described the
incident as ‘outrageous’ and said he would raise the
matter in the Dail as soon as possible.
When contacted yesterday, the HSE said it ‘would not
comment on the personal circumstances of any staff
member’. |
