If there was ever an excuse to drive fast, I can’t think of a better one than driving your wife to the hospital who is in labor. That’s exactly what Kyle Nordman was doing when an officer pulled him over to get his wife, Rachel to the hospital fast. According to a report, she was only 20 weeks into her pregnancy and the doctors told them to get to the emergency room as fast as they could.
A Jacksonville Sheriff’s officer didn’t share the doctors’ concern. Nordman was heading south on Kernan Boulevard, and when the officer approached Nordman who told him what was happening. “At that point he walked back to the car” Nordman says.
Kernan speed limit is 30 mph. Nordman was going 39 mph.
While we should never break the speeding laws in our state for our safety, our passengers, and other drivers on the road, there are such things as emergencies and this surely qualifies. If Nordman’s speeding had caused a car accident in Florida, then that would be another story.
Instead of escorting the couple to the hospital, Nordman says the JSO officer took his time to write the ticket, minutes they just didn’t have. Apparently, the JSO officer apparently missed a chapter in the code book regarding emergencies and pregnant women.
“I would’ve been OK if he gave me the citation at the hospital. I just wanted to get my wife to the hospital quicker,” he says. The officer didn’t even ask why they were going to the hospital.
“I pretty much felt almost like I was being held hostage. There was nothing I could do to help my wife or child” he says.
Nordman is considering filing a complaint against JSO, and who would blame him. Instead of a black eye and some bad publicity, JSO missed an opportunity for law enforcement to show the public they really are on our side. Let’s hope this situation generates some behind-the-scenes discussion of the discretion officers can show the public in extreme emergencies like this case.
If you have reason to believe that you or a family member has suffered injury due to another person’s negligence, you may have a case. Contact the experienced Jacksonville personal injury attorneys at Farah and Farah today for an evaluation or to have any of your questions answered.
