A Lakewood resident is in shock after being stopped, held up and ticketed by a Howell cop, just minutes before his wife gave birth to their child – despite telling the cop he was rushing to an emergency.
The resident relayed the horrifying experience to TLS, and provided photos of the ticket, as well as a photo of his wife’s hospital bracelet.
“The following is the harrowing ordeal that we went through recently with Howell Police Officer Badge #(moderated).
My pregnant wife had been to the doctor that day, and was told that as soon as labor begins she should rush to the hospital, since the baby will be born very quickly.
That night labor began, so we immediately set out to Monmouth Medical Center driving at regular speed. While driving on Squankum Road. my wife told me she is starting to feel it is getting closer to birth. I became quite frantic, so I automatically picked up speed, without realizing I was going way over the speed limit.
Suddenly the above officer pulled us over. I respectfully explained that my wife is in advanced labor and I am headed to the hospital. I tried explaining the severity of the situation, but he cut me off without inquiring in what condition my wife is, and just asked for license and registration. We pleaded with him to please make it fast as we are in an emergency, but he answered curtly, sit tight.
While stranded, my wife reached a critical point. I immediately started calling out, “officer, officer”, and motioned with my hands, but he completely ignored me. He left me stranded close to 15 minutes while my wife was moaning away. Afterwards he gave me a speeding ticket. I then told him that my wife has reached a critical point, and asked if he could escort us to the hospital. He answered “we don’t do these things, but I can call an ambulance”, which I declined saying I can do the same. In such situations, to relieve the stress, one can play a Two Dollars Deposit Casino
I rushed to the hospital while calling the doctor to update him. He sent the nurses to wait for us at the emergency room. With God’s mercy the baby was born as soon as we arrived, which happened to be “20 min. after the officer let us go”.
If anyone has any advice or suggestions how to deal with this story and ticket please contact me.
A Lakewood Resident
Thanks”
See photos below:
[SEE STATEMENT FROM HOWELL POLICE DEPARTMENT]
I have read most of the comments and I now understand why the dayanam cannot listen to one litigant in the din torah without the other side present. Do I think the cop was right in giving the ticket? Based on the driver’s story, he should not have given the ticket.
Too bad you are not a NY resident. Dov Hikind would get involved.
We need a maternity hospital close by! Did no one think of that???
The problem doesn’t start with this cop it’s the whole corrupt system of of cops instead of protecting the community, it’s all about bringing in revenue to the township, so I don’t think complaining to the police department will get you anywhere,I would say speak to a good attorney about suing, it’s very important that they learn that they can’t get away with everything.
Can the person who posted this article please send in an update once this is pursued? I am seriously worried about this crazy story, about the traumatized wife and want to know if this cop was taken off the team and what happened. Please send in update once there is one… Thanks!!
A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on everyone’s else’s.
Women have babies everyday- it is not a short ride from Lakewood to Monmouth Medical Center.
If you need to speed to the hospitality, you must take an ambulance.
This type of thing puts so many other people, including your passengers in danger. You’re not the only people on the roads.
Also. It seems as though your inclusion of the ticket with the time changed implies something fishy.
You should Sue him!!! so that other people should never go through such a trauma!!! Its could have Ch”v caused serious problems.
You should Sue!! -So that no else should go through such a trauma!!! It could’ve Ch”v caused problems.
The dash cam shows the officer was respectful. Those roads have too many curves to drive that fast. It may have been a blessing that he was stopped for speeding. Who knows what may have been prevented.
CURVES? Have you ever driven on Squankum road? Ignoramous.
I must say I am a bit perplexed about this story. In one hand I will forever be grateful to the Howell Police Department as they assisted my wife deliver our baby at home while I was stuck in traffic coming home from Brooklyn where I work as a Paramedic. The police officers, my wife describes, were excellent and very compassionate. For that I can never say anything bad about this department. I live in Howell for some 4 years and have only great experiences with the cops. Now comes this story… I saw the dashcam video of the encounter and all in the car seemed comfortable. The officer asked multiple times if the occupants need an ambulance and the driver and wife refused. The driver asked for a police escort which the officer explained was against department policy. Overall the encounter took about 9 minutes. With that said this issue is not a legal situation. It is more of a discretional issue. In my humble opinion the officer followed all the right procedures. It seems from the comments the hospital was still 20 minutes away. I’m not gonna go down the route of blaming the parents for departing to the hospital late or speeding. The main thing is you got pulled over and got a summons. That’s where my insight ends. I don’t know how I feel about that. Ultimately the wife was in labor versus speeding… which is the bigger concern? Maybe the officer didn’t believe the driver, maybe the officer is a strict individual? Whatever the case.. The speeding charge was enforced. Fight the ticket in court but don’t bad mouth the officer. The only bad thing done was the excessive speeding. My opinions are my own and un-biased by religious values of any sort as some have suggested via comments. I don’t think the fact that the driver was Jewish had anything to do with the outcome. All parties were respectful and polite. Many blessings on the new healthy baby.
Ticket justifief, AFTER escort to hospital.
If you passed up the ambulance for any reason, whether for inability or unwillingness to pay or other reason, it must not have been that much of an emergency. No one gets a pass to act dangerously.
There are 4 First Aid Squads in Howell, which could have provided at least 2 EMTs trained in delivery, as well the officer himself, before that stop was over. In addition, 2 paramedics would be been called.
The parents know that, even from Squankum Rd, they are at least 30-40 minutes away from Monmouth medical center (driving the speed limit). To drive that additional time by themselves would only put more people at risk. Whereas, the EMTs (again, trained to deliver, and most being certified in emergency vehicle operations) would have provided a safe escort to the hospital and could have delivered the baby if necessary. To that point, I would love to know if they made it to the hospital before the baby was delivered “20 minutes” later. IF so, they should have received more tickets for reckless driving.
I am usually on the officers side, but this story is so disappointing. Officers need common decency and common sense. The driver of the car was in shock from the emotional experience. Making a person in need of medical attention wait for a formality is inhumane. the officer could have been a hero and instead he chose to endanger lives. I think the whole department needs to evaluate thier values and have some much needed training on priorities.