Hit-And-Run Driver 'Unapologetic' After Narrowly Missing Firefighter
WESTMINSTER, Md. (WJZ) -- A close call for emergency crews in Carroll County. A driver smashed into an ambulance while responding to a call at a busy intersection, and then sped off.
One of the firefighters was narrowly missed, WJZ's Tracey Leong reports.
Less than a year on the job, Westminster firefighter and paramedic Brittany Baeder got an unwelcome reality check.
"I just saw this car half in the median, half in the shoulder coming at us, not stopping," said Baeder.
Baeder was responding to an accident on Route 140 and Sandymount Road in Carroll County when a driver barreled through, hit an ambulance -- narrowly missing several people, including Baeder -- and then sped off.
"He was right in a convertible, we were looking right at his face and he just kept on going," said Baeder. "He had no regard for anybody."
It was the last thing the Baeder ever thought would happen, and a big reason the move over law was established.
"Requires you to move to an available lane if you see any police officer or fire EMS worker or tow service operator on the side of the road at a scene with its emergency lights flashing," said Greg Shipley, Maryland State Police.
Police tracked down and arrested the reckless driver -- 68-year-old Gregory Jones -- a short distance away at his home.
"Said that he didn't admit to it, that there was nothing really and he didn't know what happened," said Baeder. "Unapologetic, for sure."
Drivers who violate the move over law and cause a crash face a $150 fine and three points on their license.
The driver who hit the ambulance faces multiple charges, including failure to stop.