gzhel

I pulled out of a parking lot last night onto the main drag in town...drove about 1/8 mile when i saw the flashing red/white lights in my mirror. I pulled over to the side and started slowing down to stop, wondering what the heck i'd done. The car, instead of pulling up behind me, it pulled up beside me. I glanced over still wondering what was going on....IT WASN'T A COP!!!!! It was a kid in a red car with lights in his grille.....He floored it and zoomed past me....

I had to catch him then.....Got his lic. plate number and called the police station, gave it to them and reported what had happened. I was so mad about this....The dispatcher didn't tell me anything except they'd take care of it and i still don't know what happened.

Does anyone know what the laws are about this in Texas, no one seems to be able to give me a straight answer... Seems to me it is a dangerous game they are playing!!!!!! STUPID TOO.....

lovinCTD59

These days nobody can really tell whats a "cop car"... Heck, I was pulled over by a mid 90's Intreped, with a baby seat in the back and one of those sun blocking deals you put up on the windows to keep the sun off of the kids. Sure enough it was a undercover cop!!!

But Im with ya, I had some kids do this to me too about a year or so back. I reported it just like you did. Not much happened here in this state (minnesota). All they got was some ticket for having "flashing red lights" on their car. I guess they where minors, so they couldnt charge them with impersonation of an officer.

Joe T

Yeah, I've been out of state and saw the undercover cops in regular cars pulling people over for stuff. I say that is insulting and dangerous since doing that is just asking for weirdos to imitate and do what they want. It is actually kinda scary.

madhat

What's up gzhel?
I had a fire fighter pull me over one time, but I was being stupid, and he smacked me around for a minute and called my dad. I've seen kids here in beaufort get pulled over and their car get impounded for blue stobes. I worry about my wife and something like that...

ftltmp

I don't know about Texas but here in North Carolina our fire departments have volunteer firemen and they usually drive their personal vehicals with red lights in the grills and on the dash, but there is no law anywhere here that gives a volunteer the right to exceed the speed limit no matter what. There have been several accidents caused by volunteers speeding, passing on the right etc... Police officers can an do at times pull them over and wite them tickets for this kind of behaviour.

Common

In Ohio, if you have your strobes operating while in motion on a public road/highway you will get cited for impersonating a police officer.

These stupid kids around here look like they drove through Pep Boys with a magnet attached to their car...

BC847

I'd take that information to the local fire dept and have a prayer meeting with the chief. Noting the time the fella did that, one can find out right quick if he was responding to a call.

He could have been a kid goofing around, but most likely not.




You did the right thing by pulling over. Contrary to what most believe, 70% of our nation is covered by volunteer fire, rescue, and EMS personnel. As such, they are not sitting at the fire house waiting for your call. They're at home with the family, cutting the grass, fixing the car, what ever. They have to drive their personal vehicle to the fire house to get the ambulance, pumper, etc. All calls are dispatched as routine or emergency traffic. Routine is normal driving like getting groceries. Emergency traffic is running with lights in a hurry while maintaining full respect for the safety of the public at large. While they have no lawful right compelling the public to yield, the presentation of red/white lights is legally demanding you to yield. With that, the public can be ticketed for failing to yield right of way.

I can't tell you how many times I've been hindered in responding to an emergency call by some idiot driver who apparently thinks that just because the vehicle behind them isn't a tax payed truck, that they can effectively block their way.

Seems those people are the ones who ask afterward, "Why did it take you folks so long?"


Soooo . . . . . being the concerned law abiding citizen, how far over the posted speed limit did you drive to catch the alleged scoundrel?

dieselJon

I personally have seen some SAWEET police vehicles. 05 charger, white with black stripes, All black 98 Camaro ss. I pulled over one night because I saw "flashing" lights ahead of me and there was a car ahead of them. Turned out to be a speeding car of some sort with those hard white lights. Every time he hit a bump the car would jump a little and the lights would "flash".

Jon

gzhel

I didn't speed to catch him... I sped up to 40 which was the limit and caught up with him at next light....It was a kid....couldn't tell male or female....they had long hair....when they looked up and saw me behind them, they actually ran the light. They turned into parking lot and i turned in behind them...they hauled then and i stopped, shut my truck down and called it in.

Justwannabeme

Since you are in Texas, wait a few days for the report to get filed, request a copy of it and when you have the name and address of the offending individual; send a copy to their insurance compnay. YOUR insurance company can get theirs if it is not on the police report (good cops write that stuff down).

This actually is harassment and criminal mischief as the act forces a responsible driver to alter his speed, lane change etc. and the attention is looking backwards , causing possible damage. Just under the guise of acting like the police.

Glad you reported it, cops really do not care for a teenager playing with people's lives with two ton vehicles at lethal speed. Civil suits cost too much money to make the parents/teen pay some restitution BUT Dept of Motor Vehicle Courts will suspend the teen's license for one year with a possible total of three years probation. and he has to go to a safe driver's school or perform his road test first before getting his license back (hmmmmm) a LOT of hassle, always good to write a letter to DMV once you have the dude's identification and address, driver number. WOW! you have sent a copy with a cover letter of what happened AND sent the same stuff to Insurance Company for big trouble:
stamp and envelope: 1.24
making a turd think before pulling a stunt like that again: priceless

hehe good driving award to you! Bless you and keep safe out there in cattle land!
Heidi from NY

Ryan Hyatt

Impersonating an officer in Texas is a BIG offense.

justagoodolboy

Sounds like it was a kid from your 2nd post.

I cannot quote the exact portion of the code, but I do know in TX the volunteer fire fighters are allowed to have lights on their personal vehicles and strobbing headlights, but cannot exceed the posted speed limit when responding to a call. I also know no one here MUST yield to them if they are in their personal cars with their lights, but do have to yield to the fire equipment - Volunteer or not.

I was involved in the two different scenarios that addressed the references above a few years back, so the law could have change.

Oh, and thanks to all of the firefighters, Volunteer or not, for running into burning structures when us folks are trying to get the heck out!!

Hoss

Yes, it is illegal.

The only exception is emergency vehicles OR volunteer emergency personnel on their way to a call.

Mopardan

BC847 I couldn't have said it better. In AR if you run lights you are supposed to have a siren too. I have a wig wag, a red strobe and a siren on my truck but I drive within reason. If you don't get there safely your no help.

Gotlift01

We had a young police cadet here a few years ago that abducted a girl and ended up killing her. He used his Ford Expedition that had police lights on it to pull this young highschool girl over after a party one night, took her out of her car and drove her somewhere and murdered her.

The poor girl didn't know any better not to get out of her car, for all she knew he was a real cop and didn't want to get in trouble for refusing to get out of her car. The sad part is the girl was just down the street from her house and she never made it home.


~Nick