SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Newlywed Arrested After Rushing Wife to Hospital

Posted: Jun 21 2010 04:59 pm

Quote:

When a newlywed cancer survivor with a heart condition started showing stroke symptoms, her husband knew he needed to get her to the hospital immediately. Now, the new groom faces a felony charge from an encounter with a police officer he says delayed his wife's access to treatment.

Just married last week, Eric and Aline Wright of Chattanooga, Tenn., both medical professionals at Erlanger Medical Center, were enjoying what was supposed to be their honeymoon when Aline's speech became slurred and her face began to droop on Wednesday. During the ride to the hospital, Eric says he stopped at two red lights but ran them both. After passing through the second red light, a police cruiser pulled behind the couple's vehicle, following it with lights and sirens on to the hospital.

Eric, a trained medic who served two tours in Iraq, said he knew getting Aline to medical care as quickly as possible was critical and at first felt glad when the officer pulled in behind them.

The officer allegedly told Eric later that he would be charged with a felony and needed to turn himself in to police. The new groom went to Hamilton County Jail on Thursday and was told there was no warrant out for his arrest.

The couple thought that the ordeal was over.

"But apparently it wasn't. I was awakened abruptly by people coming in the room," on Friday, Aline told WRCB. Eric was arrested and charged with assault on police, disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment, a felony count of evading arrest and other traffic violations, according to a Chattanooga police blotter.

A police spokeswoman told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that there was a supervisory complaint filed against the officer after the incident. The officer's supervisor reviewed the complaint, determining that "no policy violations, rules or procedures or laws were broken," the spokeswoman told the paper. Calls by AOL News for comment from the department have not been returned.

http://current.com/news/92501000_newlywed-arrested-after-rushing-wife-to-hospital.htm
&
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/newlywed-eric-wright-arrested-after-rushing-wife-aline-wright-to-hospital/19523650?icid=main

Posted: Jun 21 2010 05:04 pm

I hope that cop's wife has a stroke. I hope his whole family has a stroke on Thanksgiving, so he has to steal a bus to bring them all to a hospital.

Posted: Jun 21 2010 05:21 pm

The system is broken when the prosecution can't exercise some kind of judgement call in cases like this. If my wife is having a stroke, I'd run my car over 1000 kittens to get her to the hospital.

Joined: Sep 17 2007 Location: The Opium Trail Posts: 3475

Rape the cop and his family.

Posted: Jun 21 2010 06:14 pm

Ice2SeeYou wrote:

The system is broken when the prosecution can't exercise some kind of judgement call in cases like this. If my wife is having a stroke, I'd run my car over 1000 kittens to get her to the hospital.

Seconded. My uncle had a stroke back in '94, he never fully recovered, even now. They're serious business, and anyone who would try to get in the way of someone trying to get a stroke victim to the hospital can go burn.

Posted: Jun 22 2010 06:55 am

Quote:

When a newlywed cancer survivor with a heart condition started showing stroke symptoms..

Wow, that's a whole lot of health baggage to take on in a marriage...

I think the guy should be charged and fined for running the red lights, but nothing else. As devil's advocate here, what would you all be saying if, in the process of running two red lights to get his wife to the hospital, he slammed into an innocent driver/family who were coming the other way on a green light, potentially killing them? Would we be as sympathetic?

I think even if your spouse is dying, you must follow the laws of the road or else you run the risk of not only doing more damage to you and your wife, but potentially harming other innocent motorists.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Pandajuice wrote:

Quote:

When a newlywed cancer survivor with a heart condition started showing stroke symptoms..

Wow, that's a whole lot of health baggage to take on in a marriage...

I think the guy should be charged and fined for running the red lights, but nothing else. As devil's advocate here, what would you all be saying if, in the process of running two red lights to get his wife to the hospital, he slammed into an innocent driver/family who were coming the other way on a green light, potentially killing them? Would we be as sympathetic?

I think even if your spouse is dying, you must follow the laws of the road or else you run the risk of not only doing more damage to you and your wife, but potentially harming other innocent motorists.

The article said he stopped at them, he continued through after stopping. I'm not saying it is the safest choice, but it seems justified to run a red after stopping and looking both ways given the emergency.

Title: Hugh Joined: Sep 23 2007 Posts: 1591

I don't think exceptions should be made to laws in emergencies. If the government decided something should be a law, they mean "Don't do that," not "Don't do that, unless you have a really good excuse."

In a case like this, it's a shame that it has to be like that, but it does, for the safety of everyone. If he stopped at red lights and looked both ways before proceeding, that's wonderful that he was being responsible. But he was still running red lights, so he should still be punished for running red lights.

Posted: Jun 22 2010 09:53 am

Captain_Pollution wrote:

I don't think exceptions should be made to laws in emergencies. If the government decided something should be a law, they mean "Don't do that," not "Don't do that, unless you have a really good excuse."

In a case like this, it's a shame that it has to be like that, but it does, for the safety of everyone. If he stopped at red lights and looked both ways before proceeding, that's wonderful that he was being responsible. But he was still running red lights, so he should still be punished for running red lights.

that was the original punishment. but after he went to jail, there was no citation for him, so he left. afterwards, he was served with avoiding arrest and all kinds of BS. at least thats how i understood that story

Title: Hugh Joined: Sep 23 2007 Posts: 1591

I was more replying to Ice, Enshin, and Fontaine, and that.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Captain_Pollution wrote:

I don't think exceptions should be made to laws in emergencies. If the government decided something should be a law, they mean "Don't do that," not "Don't do that, unless you have a really good excuse."

In a case like this, it's a shame that it has to be like that, but it does, for the safety of everyone. If he stopped at red lights and looked both ways before proceeding, that's wonderful that he was being responsible. But he was still running red lights, so he should still be punished for running red lights.

If we were talking about theft, rape, or murder, I would agree. In this particular case though we are talking about the life and death of a person vs the boundaries of a 20th century law that is designed to protect life.

The law in this case needs to bend because it violates the woman's natural right to life.

Posted: Jun 22 2010 11:54 am

No, you're also talking about the potential of harming other, innocent people. It doesn't matter that he stopped to look both ways before running the red. There's still a chance he could misjudge, or not see an oncoming car/motorcycle and clean them out. When someone else's right to life impeds upon the safety and right to life of others, it can be violated.

You can't have a society where running red lights, or doing other dangerous acts that may result in innocent people being harmed/killed, depends on whether or not it's an emergency, or what one unqualified person deems to be an emergency. Emergency vehicles can do it because they have lights and sirens warning of their approach, as well as laws governing their passage to protect other motorists. Regular shmoes do not, therefore the law must always be applied and enforced no matter what.

Posted: Jun 22 2010 12:04 pm

While I agree that this guy broke the law, I think in most high profile felony cases like this, it passes over a DA's desk. The DA is the one who decides whether or not to prosecute, based on evidence, etc. This DA could look at the circumstances and, at the very least, see that there was good reason. I doubt charges would've gotten dropped completely, but maybe he'd have taken the facts into consideration.

Someone used the law is meant not to be broken issue, so let me throw you a curveball: It is illegal everywhere to kill someone. We all agree on that. But, what about capital punishment? This board seems to lean towards pro-death penalty. Thinking about the logistics of it, no matter the circumstances, even if it's a complete murderous assbag, you're still killing the guy.

OK, bad example? What if an armed intruder breaks into your house and threatens the lives of you and your family. You HAVE to decide: Your life, or the intruders? Ahh, don't expect any leniency, You broke the law.

I agree that laws are in place, at least in spirit, for our protection. But this is why we have a human element involved (judges, etc.) To have someone make the decision that, although a law was broken, circumstances permit charges being dropped, sentences being reduced, charges being reduced, etc. He ran several red lights and risked the lives of other motorists. Very bad. He didn't kill anyone on the way, though, and he had a medical emergency. Charge the guy worse if he'd actually killed someone on the way to the hospital, but don't charge him for what actually didn't happen given the circumstances.

As an aside, isn't it within your legal rights to refuse to pull over for the police if you have a valid excuse, or at least waiting until you get to a well-lit, heavily populated area before pulling over? I recall several women getting raped and killed a decade or so ago because they were pulling over in rural areas and getting raped or killed by murderers in false uniforms. Therefore, they made it acceptible to wait until arriving at a populated, well lit area, or at least calling the dispatcher and verifying that the cop behind you is legit.

Joined: Aug 04 2009 Posts: 2515

Pandajuice wrote:

No, you're also talking about the potential of harming other, innocent people. It doesn't matter that he stopped to look both ways before running the red. There's still a chance he could misjudge, or not see an oncoming car/motorcycle and clean them out. When someone else's right to life impeds upon the safety and right to life of others, it can be violated.

You can't have a society where running red lights, or doing other dangerous acts that may result in innocent people being harmed/killed, depends on whether or not it's an emergency, or what one unqualified person deems to be an emergency. Emergency vehicles can do it because they have lights and sirens warning of their approach, as well as laws governing their passage to protect other motorists. Regular shmoes do not, therefore the law must always be applied and enforced no matter what.

I love all the hypothesising here "if he ran it and someone got hurt".

The fact of the matter is, no one got hurt. There was a woman dying who had multiple complications.

Yes he should have got fined. What should have happened though:

He got pulled over.
He explains to the cop his wife is dying
The cop lets him go and he gets fined

The only reason the assault on the cops probably happened was due to the frustration that his wife was dying in the car beside them and the cop was to busy doing his fucking "civic duty". Shit like that can wait.

If i was that guy and my wife died i would damned that cop to fucking hell.

Pandajuice put yourself in his situation and what would you have done?

Posted: Jun 22 2010 12:22 pm

The fact that he went to jail in the first place shows that he took responsibility for his actions. I personally would run red lights to save someone I love, and I would accept the punishment involved. It's the fact that they told him there was no warrant and then charged him with evading arrest that is bullshit.

Posted: Jun 22 2010 12:26 pm

Pandajuice wrote:

No, you're also talking about the potential of harming other, innocent people. It doesn't matter that he stopped to look both ways before running the red. There's still a chance he could misjudge, or not see an oncoming car/motorcycle and clean them out. When someone else's right to life impeds upon the safety and right to life of others, it can be violated.

You can't have a society where running red lights, or doing other dangerous acts that may result in innocent people being harmed/killed, depends on whether or not it's an emergency, or what one unqualified person deems to be an emergency. Emergency vehicles can do it because they have lights and sirens warning of their approach, as well as laws governing their passage to protect other motorists. Regular shmoes do not, therefore the law must always be applied and enforced no matter what.

I don't necessarily disagree about him being fined for running the lights. I'd probably resolve to say "it sucks, but it's fair enough" on that matter. You're right that he was potentially threatening other innocent people by running the lights.

My issue was with the resisting arrest and other bullshit charges. If I've got to resist arrest to get my dying/stroking wife to the hospital, well......catch me if you can.

Posted: Jun 22 2010 12:34 pm

The cop should have escorted the guy to the hospital. He could've run his lights and siren, so there wouldn't be any issue with his running of the lights of redness. I've always heard other stories, like cops escorting women of impending birth and whatnot. I really hope that cop gets some bad karma this way or something, because he could have easily facilitated the situation.

Posted: Jun 22 2010 12:36 pm

Rycona wrote:

The cop should have escorted the guy to the hospital. He could've run his lights and siren, so there wouldn't be any issue with his running of the lights of redness. I've always heard other stories, like cops escorting women of impending birth and whatnot. I really hope that cop gets some bad karma this way or something, because he could have easily facilitated the situation.

i remember, back in the day, cops would escort drunk drivers home. if the guy driving was reasonable and told the cop 'hey, im kind of drunk, so if i was swerving i apologize' then cops would escort them home.

now they are so trigger happy to give that DUI, especially in AZ, its fucking crap.

Posted: Jun 22 2010 01:16 pm

Pandajuice wrote:

You can't have a society where running red lights, or doing other dangerous acts that may result in innocent people being harmed/killed, depends on whether or not it's an emergency, or what one unqualified person deems to be an emergency.

Except that...

Quote:

"Just married last week, Eric and Aline Wright of Chattanooga, Tenn., both medical professionals at Erlanger Medical Center"

and

Quote:

"Eric, a trained medic who served two tours in Iraq"

So, I think maybe he WAS qualified to determine what was an emergency. Not saying that everyone should take this stance because this guy did, but I'm pretty sure he knows a medical emergency when he sees one...

Posted: Jun 22 2010 01:25 pm

If the cops tried to stop me in that situation, it would go something like this:

Posted: Jun 22 2010 03:38 pm

"Remember when I said I'd kill you last?"
"Yeah! That's right! That's right Matrix! You did!"
"I lied."
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGHHHH!!!!!......"

..."What happened to Sully?"
"I let him go."

Posted: Jun 22 2010 06:11 pm

That's the dude from the Warriors! Go figure, I thought Ajax was the only one to do ANYTHING after that movie.

Posted: Jun 22 2010 07:40 pm

I can't speak for the rest of the country, but I know here in Oregon: If you are driving someone to the hospital in an emergancy situation and the cops stop you for breaking the traffic laws, you explain its an emergancy and they will give you code 3 police escort to the hosiptal. Once the emergancy is resolved, it is up to officer whether or not to ticket you for the infractions.

Posted: Jun 23 2010 02:31 am

Ross Rifle wrote:

That's the dude from the Warriors! Go figure, I thought Ajax was the only one to do ANYTHING after that movie.

I saw the two movies in reverse order. I saw Commando first, and when I got to The Warriors, I thought, "hey, that's Sully from Commando!" He has a very distinct voice as well, so every now and then I catch him in something completely at random based off his voice coming from the TV.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

This might've been avoided if he called ahead. Call 911, tell them the situation and you'll get assistance along the way.