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  1. #1

    Default Failure to Yield and Running a Red Light

    My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California.

    Citation for:

    21806 - FTY - Emerg Veh.
    21453 - Red Arrow

    I was at a red light in the left turn lane. I heard sirens and saw a fire truck coming from behind. The two lanes to my right (to proceed straight) had about five or six cars in each lane. There were no cars behind me. As the fire truck approached the intersection, it went into the left turn lane right behind me. As the center median was raised, the fire truck could not drive over the median. The fire trucked honked its horn at me. So, I said okay.. I will move. I made sure there was no cross traffic and turned left against the red light. The fire truck proceed straight.

    A sheriff car saw this and pulled me over. First, he asked why I did not get out of the way of the fire truck quicker. I said I stuck at a red light and could not safely get out of the way. He did not buy it. Then he asked if I was aware that I just ran the red light. I said yes, it was to get out of the way of the fire truck. Only way to allow the fire truck to get by me.

    He comes back with a citation for running a red light and failure to yield, which to me contradicts each other. In order for my to get out of the way, I had to run the red light.

    I asked one officer I know and she said basically the citation is BS, but I have to deal with it. She said to get the dispatch log from from the fire department to show that there was a call which could show that the fire truck could have been at the intersection and that time.

    Any other ideas on fighting this? What else was I to do? Sit there until the light changes, which could have meant another 15 to 20 seconds.. in a life/death situation possibly?

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Failure to Yield and Running a Red Light

    You said that the sheriff didn't buy that you could not get out of the way of the fire truck. Why not?

  3. #3

    Default Re: Failure to Yield and Running a Red Light

    Well.. had the court case yesterday. Officer showed up.

    I explained the facts.

    I was at a left turn red light.
    Firetruck was behind me in the left turn lane.
    I was unable to make a sharp turn to the right because of stopped cars in the lane next to me.
    I made sure there was no cross traffic and decided to make the left against the red light to allow the fire truck to pass.
    I was pulled over for running the red light and failing to yield.

    The officer stated that I prevented the firetruck from proceeding to the emergency and that I waited to move for the firetruck too long.

    The judge asked, "Was the only way for him to get out of the way of the firetruck was to run the red light?"

    Officer, "Most likely at the intersection."

    Judge, "But he did get out of the way of the firetruck, right?"

    Officer, "Yes he did"

    Judge, "Then why was he cited for running a red light?"

    Officer, "Because the light was red."

    Judge, "But to get out of the way of the firetruck, he had to run the red light. When he ran the red light, did he cause an accident or do it in a unsafe manner?"

    Officer, "I do not remember."

    Judge, "Not guilty on both counts."

    Lasted maybe 3 minutes. Officer was not happy.

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