911 (I'd still do it now), but mostly in case there's an accident so there will be documentation he was driving like this. Unless he drives past a police car I doubt they'd catch him.
2013-02-27 10:24:29
14
SUV doing about 60+ and blowing through red lghts last night on Penn Ave.
I was pulling out of that McDonalds last night and I think it was a sand colored Dodge Durango with a left taillight messed up flew by the front of my car with no regard and was heading towards the Target. I saw that light was red in front of Club One, so I was hoping to catch him and maybe get a plate number, but he swerved in front of a bus and blew right threw that light without even looking. He then flew down through downtown East Liberty and blowing through that light on Penn Circle West almost hitting a car that slammed on their brakes to avoid this crazy idiot. He didn't slow down at all and to be honest, I have never seen anyone drive like that, with really no regard at all. Was the SUV stolen? Did the guy do something and was fleeing? No idea, but I was wondering what you folks would have done? Just ignore it? I thought about fellow cyclists, even though I happened to be driving at the time and just hoped this nut didn't encounter a cyclist, since he obviously had no fear of smashing into a car. Do you call the police? I didn't get a plate number, but could say where the driver was going to a point.
2013-02-27 10:19:09
I have called 911 in such situations. There's probably a very slim chance that anything would happen; but then again the police might have been chasing this car and lost it, so your tip might help them catch the guy. The few times I've done it the 911 operators thanked me, but I don't know what their official policy towards these kind of calls are.
2013-02-27 10:28:44
Never thought about a police car in pursuit, but I did call 911 and at least said where the SUV was headed. I got no thanks and almost silence on the other end, but I did my part. I thought about following the guy and I could considering he was driving a Dodge Durango, but I am not into taking those kind of chances. I did go out of my way just to see if the guy hit another car, but he was gone. I was pretty angry that someone could be that selfish, but thankfully, people like that are pretty rare. Still upsets me, just thinking of some cyclist or for that matter some motorist getting smashed into by this moron.
2013-02-27 10:47:25
I've called the police (local State office) on an occasion like this and asked what the proper response was, they told me to call 911.
As for the motorist, It may have been selfishness... it may have also been someone hallucinating due to a mental disorder and/or drug abuse. You never know what was going on in this guys mind.
The last two encounters I had with a motorist like this: There was one guy on a motorcycle going well over 80mph on US22 and driving onto the shoulder to get around traffic with no apparent regards for his own safety (that's when I called the state police). The other time was a hot-rodesque Honda driving down 1st Avenue in Seattle at about the same speed... his driving was similar to what you describe above. Although, in that case it was a little more interesting as there were flames shooting out of his muffler as it dragged on the ground and I suspect that he had malfunctioning nitrous or something.
2013-02-27 13:11:29
Mayor Luke said that was the NateHarper DrivingSchool'sfault.
2013-02-27 13:59:49
Oh, maybe that was the emergency that Mayor Luke blew off the Essential Pittsburgh interview for. He was supposed to be in an interview at noon, but canceled.
2013-02-27 14:05:53
Had this been a cyclist weaving through cars, there would be comments that he/she should be doored, assaulted, etc... Yet there is none of that here. Good.
2013-02-27 14:45:33
Unless he drives past a police car I doubt they’d catch him.
I was turning left from eastbound Fifth Avenue onto northbound Neville Street the other night when some jagoff ran the red light, probably at 40+ mph, doing a Dukes of Hazzard-style takeoff coming up the Junction Hollow hill. And who was in front of me at the light but a Carnegie Mellon police patrol car?
I get upset when I see things like this happen in front of me and there are no consequences for reckless drivers but seeing the blue lights go on in that instance was very satisfying.
2013-02-27 15:07:11
ieverhart wrote:seeing the blue lights go on in that instance was very satisfying.glad you got to see that--I've seen people speed past police cars and even run red lights in front of them without so much as a blink. (fun: last night i saw a Pitt PD truck turn up the 5th Ave bus lane from Atwood toward campus...with no headlights.)
2013-02-27 16:14:05
Lukey has been calling in sick for everything involving the city for almost a week. Last Fri night he had a months-in-advance mixer planned at the Google office, as well as a Sunday brunch there... no show for either.
Someone should go check in on him & make sure he's feeling ok without the extra security detail.
2013-02-28 00:33:50
2013-02-28 06:34:49
Bet Kravenstahl misunderstands the term "blowing through red lights".
2013-02-28 07:11:34
Call 911.
(by the way - always call 911. Don't bother with calling the local station. The police want everything to go through 911 dispatch. Plus, it creates a sort of record, whereas simply calling the station is not likely to be recorded, which means not accountable.)
2013-02-28 09:14:08