– I got a lump in my stomach. When I see the car coming, and am so close to the two cars it passes, I get sick to my stomach. This is what Morten Kvamme says to news after he drove along Midgardsveien in Horten on his way home from work on Monday. He then became aware of a Viking recovery vehicle, which was coming in the opposite direction with its lights flashing. A screenshot from the dashboard video shows how the flatbed truck drives in the middle between two cars. Photo: Morten Kvamme The rescue vehicle was in the middle of the road with several oncoming cars. – It came around a bend and towards the cars at high speed. Firstly, there is a double barrier line, and then it is not an emergency vehicle, says Kvamme. – The rescue vehicle was only a few centimeters from the cars he met first. It was a wild, wild Viking, he describes. Viking: – Should not take place Head of the Viking Rescue Service, Mikkel Skullerud, reacts to the video as follows: – Immediately, it is not acceptable driving from our side. It is a bit shocking to see these pictures, he says. Leader of the rescue service Mikkel Skullerud. Photo: Kilian Munch / Viking Skullerud believes it has nothing to say which event the so-called flak wagon was on its way to. – This type of driving should not take place. And there is no type of assignment that can defend this type of overtaking, he says. The Viking manager emphasizes that the driving is not in accordance with their guidelines. The entire statement from Viking rescue service Viking takes a strong stand against such behavior in traffic. We focus on responsible driving in our training, and have guidelines for this. Tow trucks do not fall under the category of an emergency vehicle, and even if in certain cases we use light signals to safely pass obstacles/queues, this does not include deviations from the traffic rules. This is done in order to be able to salvage vehicles that prevent traffic flow and thus ensure the least possible socio-economic consequences. The matter will be followed up as a personnel matter. On behalf of Viking Redningstjeneste AS, I would like to deeply regret this incident and assure that it will be taken very seriously. This is stated by the head of Viking redningstjeste AS, Mikkel Skullerud. Skullerud will not go into what will eventually happen to the driver. – The case will be followed up as a personnel matter with the station in question and the driver in question. I do not wish to comment on that further. Watch the full video here: A Viking recovery vehicle captured by dashboard camera in an overtaking northbound on Midgardsveien in Horten. – How would you describe the situation in the video? – First and foremost as a bad judgment made by this driver who does not drive according to training and – yes, call it public custom. Not least, this is also against the traffic laws, says Skullerud. What do you think of the incident in the video? Inside Over the line Has no opinion Show result On behalf of Viking rescue service, he wishes to express his deepest regret for the incident. – I would like to emphasize that this is something we see as a serious deviation. We are there to help motorists, says the manager. On a busy road The road where the overtaking happened is the main road from the E18 towards the ferry dock where the Bastø ferry runs between Horten and Moss. The camera on Kvamme’s dashboard captured the incident shortly before 4pm on Monday 2 September. He subsequently became irritated, and reacts to what he believes to be dangerous driving. – Car salvagers do a formidable job, and see ugly accidents every day. So I think it’s a bit surprising that they choose to create such a dangerous situation themselves, says Kvamme. The police: driving carefully is not an elective course news has been in contact with police superintendent Johannes Lien at the Norwegian Police Academy. He is the subject and training officer at the driving training there. Lien believes it is difficult to judge this specific situation based on the video, but speaks on a general basis. – Is this type of driving legal? Johannes Lien is the training officer for emergency driving at the Norwegian Police Academy. Photo: Private – It can be a legal basis for that, if they are on their way to a mission where they are needed to, for example, clear the road, says Lien. He points to sections 4 to 9 of the Road Traffic Act. The paragraphs can be waived for “emergency vehicles and drivers of vehicles in police service and road work machines or other vehicles used for work on or near roads”. – But of course it must be a mission. You can’t just do it because you feel like it. And you can’t derogate from section 3 in any case, emphasizes Lien. Paragraph 3 states that everyone must travel with consideration and be careful so that no danger arises. – No one is allowed to deviate from paragraph 3. It must be considerate, careful and cautious. It is not an elective, emphasizes the training officer. Hi! Do you have any input after reading this case? Or input on other good things? I am open to good stories from several fields. Feel free to send me an e-mail! Published 04/09/2024, at 16.03
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Tow truck overtakes double barrier line – Viking apologizes – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
