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An SUV driver's “inattention” contributed to a collision with a firetruck driving the wrong way on South Boulevard, police say.
Matthew Colby Sain, 25, looked left but not right Monday morning as he turned from Woodlawn Road onto southbound South Boulevard, said a police report released Tuesday. The two vehicles collided head-on not far from the intersection, sending Sain and four firefighters to the hospital.
Sain, of Chadbourn, told police he assumed the southbound lanes were clear and didn't see or hear the firetruck until the collision, the report says.
The firetruck drove north in a southbound lane of South Boulevard to bypass a cluster of cars backed up at the traffic light. A new concrete median forced the truck to remain in the southbound lane for about 100 yards.
N.C. law allows emergency vehicles to speed, cross medians and run stop signs and red lights when responding to an emergency as long as the sirens and lights are on, as the Charlotte firetruck's were Monday.
But neither state law nor fire department policy addresses specifically how far or under what circumstances firefighters can drive the wrong way on roads. The law requires motorists to yield the right of way to emergency vehicles with their lights and siren on.
During an emergency, the Charlotte Fire Department allows firefighters to drive the wrong way if lanes are clear for as long as needed, said Capt. Rob Brisley, the department's spokesman.
“If the driver of that firetruck has a clear lane in oncoming traffic, he can use that as an option to pass a congested roadway,” Brisley said Tuesday. “That's a common-sense interpretation of the reality of a firetruck and its driver navigating the streets of Charlotte.”
In 2007, as part of a new light-rail project, the city installed two raised median “planters,” concrete structures filled with shrubs, on South Boulevard near the Woodlawn intersection.
The planter on the south side of Woodlawn stretches 300 feet. When traffic backs up, firefighters from nearby Fire Station 12 must decide whether to wait or go around the concrete divider, traveling the wrong way until they clear the Woodlawn intersection.
Emergency vehicles drive the wrong direction on South Boulevard frequently, said Andy Deemer, who for six years has managed a Payless Shoe Source at the intersection.
“In fact, I saw an ambulance do it this morning,” Deemer said. “It was just a matter of time before there was an accident. I was surprised it was the first time, at least what I've seen.”
Brisley said the South-Woodlawn intersection is one of many in Charlotte that firefighters have a hard time navigating. He said firefighters have to work out the best way around them.
“We have 38 fire stations, and parts of the city are unique in their traffic response challenges,” he said. “Do we need to write Standard Operating Guidelines for every fire station?”
Sain was taken to Presbyterian Hospital on Monday and later released. Reached by telephone Tuesday, he said he didn't feel well and declined to be interviewed. None of the four firefighters was seriously hurt.
Sain was cited Monday for driving with his license revoked. Since 2002, records show, Sain has been convicted three times of speeding and also of running a stop sign and failing to wear a seat belt.
The Fire Department, in its list of driver safety tips, recommends that drivers look both ways at intersections; avoid distractions such as sending text messages or loud music; and pull to the right curb and stop when they see or hear an emergency vehicle.
“We expect a driver to be more diligent in their awareness of their surroundings, no matter what kind of intersection or roadway is ahead,” Brisley said. “Our drivers are trained intently to look out for that other driver. We need drivers to look out for us a little bit more in this busy city.” staff writers peter st. onge and cleve r. wootson jr. contributed.
Greg Lacour: 704-358-5067
