DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — New video shows what Douglas County officers say are drivers not yielding to law enforcement vehicles answering emergency calls.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office spoke to FOX31 about how careless drivers are putting their officers in danger.
In the new video, a Douglas County Sheriff’s deputy can be seen trying to get around a vehicle on their way to an emergency. However, in the video the driver does not move to the right.
Deputy Shane Belsey with DCSO said he’s found himself in the same scenario many times.
“It can be frustrating especially out here working in a rural county. Where we have rural roads and we are trying to get somewhere. We have a long way to drive. We’re adding minutes to a call where seconds count,” Belsey said.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said vehicles also pass on the right side of their deputies’ vehicles even when their lights and sirens are activated, but it’s not clear why.
“When people panic, they are not always do things we are not expecting and that can lead to dangerous situations,” Belsey said.
Senator John Carson told FOX31 he’s been working to stiffen penalties for careless driving.
“I think there’s a lot more distraction. People are distracted with phones and with other items in their vehicles. People seem to be in more of a hurry. More in a rush. There’s more traffic. I do think things have changed in the last several decades. People were more respectful of that need and we have lost some of that,” Carson said.
For Belsey, getting the message out about watching for lights and sirens hits home as his cruiser was struck while he was working on an emergency call.
“As we were turning around. The car said she saw me coming with my lights on, but she just didn’t stop,” Belsey said.
Belsey said if drivers are stopped at an intersection and “don’t know what to do”, they should just stay still as officers will often adjust and keep traveling on the road.
The DSCO spokesperson told FOX31, not yielding to an emergency vehicle can lead to a $170 fine.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
