Outrageous road rage or plain stupidity? Driver refuses to give way, stops in freeway fast lane to block ambulance

An ambulance rushing a patient to hospital was forced to stop in the fast lane on National Highway 1 in Tainan City recently, after a driver refused to give way, and instead stopped his vehicle and got out to speak to the ambulance driver.

Dashcam from the ambulance was released on social media yesterday that showed the ambulance speeding in the fast lane of the freeway with with its siren on and warning lights flashing at around 7:00pm September 6 in Tainan City’s Yongkang District.

The ambulance driver sounded the horn to warn the driver of an SUV occupying the lane to move over. The SUV driver turns on the right-turn indicator, but instead of moving into the right lanes, slows down and eventually comes to a complete stop.

The SUV driver then turns on the hazard lights, slowly gets out of his vehicle, and approaches the ambulance. Various news reports claim that the driver had an angry look on his face and got out to argue with the ambulance driver.

However, the driver’s facial expression is not clear in the video, and his actions appear to be somewhat confused. At one point the driver looks up at the flashing red lights, reacts in a startled manner, and starts to head back to his car. Then the ambulance driver yells, “What are you doing? What are you doing? You are blocking the road!” The SUV driver then scratches his head, starts moving towards the ambulance again, then turns around, jogs back to his car, and speeds off.

National Highway police say they will summon the driver to explain what happened. The driver is likely to be fined NT$3,600 and have his license revoked for blocking an emergency vehicle. He may also be penalized for dangerous driving and parking his car on the freeway.

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