The ambulance driver – who had provided evidence saying he was on an emergency call at the time with activated blue lights – said the court case was a ‘complete waste of time’
An ambulance driver was taken to court for a speeding offence – allegedly committed while on a blue light emergency call.
Matt Wood, 27, was en route to pick up an “unstable” patient when he was clocked doing 90mph in an unmarked ambulance. The driver, who was working for Criticare UK Ambulance Service at the time, was snapped as he roared down the M27 with blue lights blaring to pick up the patient arriving from Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, on an emergency flight.
Not long after the January 2023 incident, he received a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) and was told he had to attend Southampton Magistrates’ Court in Hampshire, despite having provided evidence he was responding to a medical emergency. He was later able to have the case dismissed after providing evidence, but dubbed the experience “embarrassing” in comments after its conclusion. Speaking afterwards, he said the prosecution was a “complete waste of time”.
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”. Mr Wood, from Nursling, Hants, was in Portsmouth when he got the call to pick up the patient. Despite providing documents to prove he was an ambulance driver to Driving Standards and Hampshire Constabulary, the case was still prosecuted.
The emergency vehicle he was driving was an unmarked Volvo, but he did use blue lights. Mr Wood continued: “Our vehicles must be unmarked as they are kept at our homes. He added: “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.
“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.”
