POLICE: AMBULANCE REMAINS BEST OPTION

Rushing an injured person to the hospital in lieu of calling an ambulance is something most police frown upon.

"Certainly there are situations where people need to get to the hospital quickly," said Police Sgt. Carl Kinnison. "But depending on the situation, putting the person in the car may be more detrimental to the situation."

Last week in St. Louis a man was handed five traffic tickets after he rushed his bleeding son at speeds up to 70 miles per hour in 35 mph zones to the hospital. The man was detained by police and not allowed to enter the emergency room with his son.

The boy had shoved his arm through a glass door and required surgery and 43 stitches. He is expected to recover completely.

His father was accused of running a red light, improper lane usage, speeding, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and failure to have insurance after a police officer followed him to the hospital.

Kinnison said he wasn't familiar with the St. Louis case, but that it depends on the situation whether a speeding driver en route to a hospital would be ticketed. It often depends on how badly the person is injured, he added.

"I can't imagine an officer giving someone a ticket who is speeding to the hospital in a legitimate emergency situation," Kinnison said.

But he recalled one incident in Cape Girardeau when someone did rush their bleeding child to the hospital and was ticketed for speeding. The officer found the child had only a small cut.

"That's not an emergency," he said.

The sergeant said many factors come into play during an emergency. He said that ideally, those with the injured person will know how to administer basic first aid until an ambulance arrives.

"It depends on where you live and the extent of the injury" whether you should call an ambulance or transport the victim to the hospital yourself, he said.

"I think ideally everyone should be trained in emergency first aid to a point where they could provide that first aid until the ambulance could get there."

Cape Girardeau police no longer provide emergency escorts to the hospital, Kinnison said. He said it's considered too dangerous to escort a speeding vehicle.

But police do carry first aid supplies. All police are trained in basic or advanced first aid and some in the Cape Girardeau force are certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), he said.

Speeding drivers pose risks to themselves and others, and those who rush an injured person to the hospital generally are panicked and emotionally upset, said police Capt. Steve Strong.

"My concern with someone rushing to a hospital is that they are already in a very emotional state," said Strong. "They could very easily become involved in an accident themselves."

Strong said he recalls a fatal 1977 accident that involved a pregnant woman in labor whose parents were rushing her to the hospital. She and her unborn baby were killed when she was thrown from the car in a collision with another vehicle.

The accident, at the intersection of Kingshighway and William, resulted in negligence charges against the father, who was driving the car.

"If a person is involved in an accident, they're not going to get to the hospital at all," Strong said.

Strong said the response time of emergency crews within city limits varies, but depending on the location of the emergency, they can sometimes be on the scene in minutes.

Vehicles not equipped with sirens and lights are prohibited from speeding and running red lights, according to state and city laws.

"I realize when you're waiting for an emergency vehicle that seconds seem like minutes, and minutes seem like hours," Strong said. "But generally you're better off in the long run to call 911 and wait for an ambulance."