How do you feel about this-----

[chiefcop]

Ok here it is in a nut shell. As I have nothing better to do at midnight on a 2nd job here it goes.

Several years ago an incident happened to me and I will summarize it here for your thoughts.

I was on duty in a marked unit. The weather was light fluffy snow falling on an already weeks worth of snow packed into ice on the roads. So needless to say the roads were slicker than snot.

I started up at a stop light and made my left turn onto a major street. My CV was light in the rear and at 5 mph I had prro traction and the rear slipped out a few times. I started forward to increase speed slightly to about 10 and all or a sudden the rear slid to the passengers side and I found myself across the lae of traffic.....here it comes....literally.

I looked out the driver's window in time to see the Chrysler minivan emblem on the hood t-bone me. Crunch!

OK I got out and assisted the people in the van and they said I did not look very good, I agreed and sat in my car. EMTs packed me up and off the hospital...no major injuries (thanks to the seatbelt!)

A day of two after the whiplash and bad time I received a visit from a trooper who appeared to want to give me a get well card. Hummm funny looking card, I have to sign it??!! Oh yeah funny a citation for improper turn. Hummmmm

The driver of the van at the scene stated he was going 40 in a 35 zone (remember the slick conditions) and saw me having trouble and did not slow......


I got the citation.......hummm











I took the cite to court and got a defensive driving course in lieu of a citation. Then the trooper made a comment to me about how he fell asleep at the wheel in the warm winter sun while driving the other day as his baby kept him up most of the night. He said he was in the opposing lane of travel and almost hit an oncoming car........


Let's hear your thoughts for fun...

[psotyrone]

i personally don't have anything against troopers, however, i hear they would write their dying mother. my wife got a ticket from one after identifying herself, appropriately, and telling him i was in afghanistan. should have seen his face when i showed up in civs on the court date after my deployment. on the other hand i was inside the cruiser when one took a t-bone in the driver's door for failure to clear cross traffic, making sure i could do what i can and then cleared traffic for the medic to take him to the medivac hanger. there are a few that think they are gods gift to traffic enforcement, but more than not they are brothers/sisters ready to take one for you. maybe the trooper got higher directive to give you the citation. a general rule is i don't write tickets for accidents unless suspended/revoked especially a fellow brother/sister.

p.s. i hope you put in an overtime slip in for the court time, it was job related.

[BigTrooper]

Hmmmm. Interesting assessment of troopers (dying mother? really?)

In my 10 years experience, I worked several accidents involving on-duty LE members and members of "allied" agencies, like DOT. After filling out the report, it would be forwarded to the DA's office for final disposition. Our policy strictly prohibited issuing a citation at the scene for anyone involved with a LE member involved accident. I saw the DA recommend a cite just twice in 10 years, and it was glaringly obvious. We would also honor a supervisor's request for the member to get a citation, provided it was the agency head (like the Sheriff-I worked in an area without PD's).

There were certain times when the law said we had to cite, but we still waited for the DA. Our job is difficult enough without getting a bunch of ignorant crap from fellow cops.

[andy5746]

Wow. Sad.

[unc25]

I received a cite from a local PD during an accident, that I was obviously at fault for. Nothing crazy, just heavy traffic and thought (keyword) it was clear.

After I clearly Identified myself and advised him that I had my weapon on me, he approached me approx. 5 mins later and said," Hey I'm sorry but, I'm going to have to issue this citation." Failure to Yield When Turning Left.

Went to court saw how ridiculous things were ran and couldnt get in contact with the appropriate attorney/prosecutor so I simply paid my fine and went about my business.

Would I have issued the cite to another...no, but I dont know what the circumstances were regarding the officer and his superiors. No big deal and no hard feelings.

[KAA951]

Sounds like you were at fault.

[tutt101]

I don’t have much of a problem with officers getting tickets if they cause an accident. The other driver should not suffer just because the person causing the accident was a cop. Professional courtesy (no ticket for speeding or something) is fine.
That said, I can’t tell exactly but it sounds like the weather and the other driver may have played just as much of a part in the accident as you did.

[C-15]

your lucky they didnt come after you and the dept. for some money or maybe they are and then you might not want to discuss that on an open forum

[SgtScott31]

From your statement it seems that both of you had fault in the accident, with you possibly bearing more of it. I truly believe that 99% of officers do not like writing tickets to other officers. With that said, since you were mainly at fault for losing traction and getting sideways, he may have not had an option since a crash resulted from it. Do you think he would have issued it had another vehicle not been involved?? Not likely. Sometimes they do not have a choice. I would not give the trooper a bunch of grief over it. It may have not been his decision to make, but either way he was in a bind when another officer causes a crash. We are held to higher standards and most citizens who cause crashes (or carry most of the fault) get citations (at least in my neck of the woods) so why shouldn't we?

[LE2BE]

So what you are saying is.... You received a ticket on duty that affects your personal off duty driving record and potentially your insurance premium if points are issued? Unbelievable!!

Disclaimer... this might only apply to my agency.



I guess California isn't so bad after all..... We cannot be issued citations for accidents, and any accident whether your fault or not, cannot be used against you by insurance companies. The accident will show up on your DMV report, but it will say "while operating an emergency vehicle." Now.... get too many accidents and you will take a hit by my department in the form of admonishment or even days off of work.

About 6 weeks ago I was responding to a backup request by a senior Officer (hard charger), so I knew that he needed help ASAP. I responded unauthorized code-3 and then shut off the lights and sirens about a block from the incident. As I approached, I maneuvered into opposing lanes and stopped while I looked where I should deploy the vehicle. Right then a looky-loo made a right turn while staring at the Officers that were across from him. He ended up clipping the front of my vehicle. Even though I was stationary, I knew I was party-1 since I was in opposing lanes. O'well... I'll end up with a verbal admonishment on this one. I'm also currently receiving letters from the other parties insurance company to get my statement, but I've been told by our traffic division to toss them in the trash, since I am not required to respond.

On a side note... Has an Officer driving a clearly marked police vehicle ever been pulled over by another agency and issued a citation? I probably wouldn't stop... or laugh in his face and drive off!!! I can only think of one agency that might do that... but I won't say who it is...... *** cough*** C#@ ***cough***

[Chesty]

Original Post

No one can say whether the Trooper was right or wrong to issue you the citation because we weren't there. Our Agency has a policy that all traffic violations resulting in traffic crashes will be cited. That being said I've eased fleets on other agencies through without issuing citations, but I was always prepared for my Sgt. to come back and tell me to issue one. In all my cases the officer was clearly in the wrong, yet they didn't hurt anyone else.

We have some commands that have made Troopers issue citations to fellow Troopers in fleet crashes. Imagine how tough that is.

In my opinion Law Enforcement today is much different than the "good ole days." We live in the media and open records age. Doing favors for each other is under much more scrutiny today than it ever has been. That being said we need to ask ourselves if we really deserve preferential treatment. As police officers we are supposed to represent the right and wrong of society. My personal opinion is that we should practice what we preach. I'm by no means saying I'm perfect, but I'm prepared to pay a fine if I'm in the wrong. That Trooper is just doing his job, just as you hopefully would if you responded to a domestic violence call at the Trooper's residence.

We live in a glass house, and should make our decisions accordingly.

[copper21911]

In Georgia we have this little thing written into state law called "discretion". If I don't want to issue a citation or make an arrest then I don't have to. On the other hand our policy due to our national accreditation is to cite someone for something in every accident. But common sense over rules and cops don't count. However there is a way around that if your the cop having to write the ticket. I had this situation when I first started. I had a neighboring town officer that rear ended another vehicle in his pov. Our department was on the everyone gets a ticket kick so I informed the officer that I am required to give him a ticket. I then informed him that I can call a supervisor to the scene so he can complain in person about how unfair/insensitive/unjust it would be for me to issue the ticket. My Lt arrived on scene and quickly agreed that a citation would not be appropriate. Now if any of the head shed had a problem with it I could refer them to my Lt.

[jsc0288]

Watch out for the trooper's they don't like us locals. It's a power thing, but they never gave me a ticket.

[jthorpe]

Watch out for the trooper's they don't like us locals. It's a power thing, but they never gave me a ticket.

It's not like that at all where I work. We get along with the locals quite well, and we cover each other all the time. They are good folks.

[t150vsuptpr]

You made a left from a light, I assume light was green for the left. Rear skidded right, you see van coming through your driver's glass. Was van coming from behind you?

was on duty in a marked unit. The weather was light fluffy snow falling on an already weeks worth of snow packed into ice on the roads. So needless to say the roads were slicker than snot.

I started up at a stop light and made my left turn onto a major street. My CV was light in the rear and at 5 mph I had prro traction and the rear slipped out a few times. I started forward to increase speed slightly to about 10 and all or a sudden the rear slid to the passengers side and I found myself across the lae of traffic.....here it comes....literally.

I looked out the driver's window in time to see the Chrysler minivan emblem on the hood t-bone me. Crunch!
...
... etc ...
...
The driver of the van at the scene stated he was going 40 in a 35 zone (remember the slick conditions) and saw me having trouble and did not slow......

If at a light, how did he avoid having to slow or stop for that light from where you just entered when you made that left?

Hard to answer question based on what I read. It sounds almost like you either ran the light and made a left putting you in front of him and unable to accelerate, or the guy in the van ran a light that was red while you had a green to maintain 40 in a 35 on such a slick road.

As to issuance of a cite, I'ld maybe try hard not to, but I can see the trooper there looking at this guy expecting him to handle the wreck impartially. His department may have a policy dealing with at fault wrecks? Would you have a problem with it if he had written the guy in the van instead?


Why does your department not work it's own wrecks?

Watch out for the trooper's they don't like us locals. It's a power thing, but they never gave me a ticket.

Not at all like that here either. Get along great with the locals, wheather in the city or county ... there is no practicle difference in "power", I am not superior to them, my authority just extends further to all parts of the state.