A Carlisle man has admitted driving dangerously after overtaking traffic while following an ambulance which was attending an emergency call.
Matthew James Ogilvie, 20, of Hebden Avenue, Carlisle, faced a charge of driving a Ford Fiesta car dangerously on the A596 near Wigton, Cumbria. He pleaded-guilty today (MONDAY).
The court was told he was following an ambulance while it was on an emergency call, overtaking other vehicles at speed and crossed the central road marked hatchings on August 10, last year.
Peter Kelly prosecuting said the incident took place around 4pm, the ambulance was travelling to attend a road traffic collision, near Wigton.
A video taken from the ambulance was shown to the court of the car being driven close to the ambulance and ‘mirrored’ the emergency vehicle’s movements by crossing the solid line road markings in the middle of the road.
The prosecutor said the police attending the accident commented when the ambulance and car arrived at the accident scene, “it looked they were in convoy”.
Defence lawyer Sean Harkin told the court his client had friends in the car and was “egged-on” by pear-pressure, he apologised and said this was an error of judgment. He was working as a delivery driver but might lose his job.
Ogilvie was sentenced after magistrates heard a report prepared by the Probation Services. He was disqualified from driving for one-year and must complete 200-hours of unpaid work and placed on a Community Order for 12-months, also prosecuting costs of £300 with a victims surcharge of £85.
