Story Archive

Priorities

“I thought they were trying to escort me,” said Bhagwan Bang. “I just kept on proceeding.” But then one of the Opp, Ala., police cars got in front of him to stop him. “And this time, the image is in my mind of the baby. They could have a ruptured lung and I may need to do something.” Bang is a pediatrician, and he was rushing to the hospital; he was explaining the matter by phone to a 911 dispatcher, who was telling him to slow down. “Obviously, minutes and seconds matter. I had to stop when the police officer came in front of me. I waited for 15 minutes.” Bang, who has a long record of police interactions over his driving, was convicted of charges including reckless driving and not yielding to an emergency vehicle. But after thousands of people weighed in on his side, Opp’s police chief issued a statement announcing a deal between Bang’s lawyer and the prosecutor: Bang would take a driving course, and the charges would be dismissed. (AC/WSFA Montgomery) ...Whose emergencies take priority over road safety, and who should decide?