Ambulance Driver Takes Speeding Case to Court – Calls It a “Waste of Time”
An ambulance driver caught speeding at 90mph while rushing a patient to Southampton Airport branded the court case against him “embarrassing” and a “waste of time.”
Matt Wood’s Emergency Call Ends Up in Court
Matt Wood, 27, was on an urgent mission to pick up an unstable patient arriving from Guernsey when he was pulled up for speeding. Despite showing evidence that he was responding to a medical emergency, the court case went ahead.
Wood attended Southampton Magistrates’ Court after receiving a notice of intended prosecution. Thankfully, the case was dismissed once the evidence proved he was acting in a genuine emergency.
Unmarked Ambulance Sparks Confusion
Wood was driving an unmarked Volvo, equipped with blue lights but not fitted or marked like a traditional ambulance. Hampshire Constabulary pointed out that the vehicle wasn’t designed to transport patients and lacked official ambulance markings – a sticking point in the case.
Wood explained the rationale behind unmarked vehicles: “Our cars are kept at our homes and we serve emergency flights from Guernsey, where arrival times aren’t always known in advance.”
Driver Furious Case Went This Far
“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,” said Wood, who worked for Criticare UK Ambulance Service at the time.
Official Responses and Wider Issues
A UNISON spokesperson noted that NHS emergency vehicles have protocols to deal with speeding when responding to emergencies but admitted unmarked cars can cause legal headaches.
The Crown Prosecution Service added: “Following Mr Wood’s evidence, the lawyer in court decided to offer no evidence and drop the prosecution. The CPS aims to fairly assess cases to ensure only those with sufficient evidence go ahead.”
This case underlines the tricky balance emergency workers face when using unmarked vehicles in life-or-death situations – often caught between urgent care and the letter of the law.
