By Hank Russell
New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) introduced a bill on October 9 that would make it a crime to block an emergency vehicle from accessing a roadway on purpose.
The proposed legislation would include aggravated obstructing emergency medical services as an offense under the state’s Penal Law and Vehicle and Traffic Law. According to the proposed legislation, the offender is considered guilty for “intentionally and unreasonably [obstructing] the efforts” of emergency service personnel “in the performance of their duties.”
The bill is in response to two incidents in Patchogue and Miller Place on the night of October 6, in which ambulances transporting patients were blocked access to roadways because of illegal car “meetups” in which drivers perform certain stunts such as “doing donuts” or “drifting.” According to reports, a 19-year-old woman was injured at the Patchogue meetup when she was hit by one of the cars.
“They are terrorizing our communities,” Palumbo said of these dangerous drivers in an interview with CBS.
Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner agreed. “Illegal street takeovers threaten the safety of our residents and as elected officials,” she said. “it is our duty to protect the people we represent. I expect that there will be more arrests soon to get these people and their cars off the street.”
When Suffolk County Legislator Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue) heard about the incidents with the ambulances, his reaction was shock. “I never thought, in a million years, that we would go down this road,” said Thorne, who also chairs the Legislature’s Fire, Rescue and Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness Committee.
He pointed out that the two ambulances that were blocked were attempting to transport patients to local hospitals. Thorne said the offenders, when they are caught, will pay “fines of biblical proportions.”
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico addressed the situation at a press conference earlier this week. He said he supports Palumbo’s legislation. “Senator Palumbo fully appreciates and understands the outrage we all share by seeing an ambulance stopped by those who unlawfully blocked this intersection, brought on by a night of coordinated criminal chaos,” he said. “I’m proud to stand beside him and support his legislation to help keep the public safe and increase penalties on those with a reckless disregard for the law.”
“I firmly stand with Senator Palumbo on this issue,” Deputy Supervisor Neil Foley added. “He has consistently led on quality-of-life matters for his community, and I applaud his leadership.”
Palumbo’s bill would also make the offense a Class E felony. Currently, reckless driving is a misdemeanor in New York State. “It’s not a felony, but we can fine the hell out of them,” Thorne said. “Don’t expect to block an ambulance and get away with it.”