OMG I think I could have just been killed...

[Shutterbug]

okay heres what happened...I'm on my way to get a bite to eat. I go up the side road to main road. At this intersection if you look to the left you have a clear view down the road. Looking to the right the road goes about 50 yards then makes sudden drop down a hill. I will be making a right turn on this road. After stopping at the intersection I look right even though I will be making a right turn. I then look left. There is a car coming down the road. It was moving slow enough that I probably could have turned but decided to wait. After a few moments the car passed by. I usually would have pulled right out behind the car but I paused.

Well I take another look to my left. Its clear and as I turn my head back to the right I start make a right turn....into the path of paramedic unit that had come flying from my right from below the hill. Now the reason I said into the path of it is this. The traffic moving right to left had stopped but not pulled over so that caused the squad to go left of center into the lane that I was turning onto.
I dont know why but he was NOT running his sirens. His flashing lights and strobes were on but NO siren. If he had had his siren on I would have waited to see where it was coming from before moving. Fortunately I saw him at the last second(it may have very well been my last) and hit the brakes as hard as I could letting the squad unit pass by a few feet in front of me.

Left me a bit shaken for sure.

Now you want to know the really weird part of the story. Before this happened I had been watching the movie Final Destination 2. I left right after opening scene in which there is this horrific car accident.

Now to make it even weirder while I watching this movie I was thinking back to when I was in college and I was in a nasty car accident that I thought for sure I should have died in and have wondered off and on since then if I have been living on borrowed time. Then the near miss happens tonight.

 

[chell]

is right. Glad you made it home safely.

 

[kristen821]

I hate when they don't put the sirens on! I am glad you are o.k.

 

[CA Disney Fans]

Wow, thank goodness you were alert.

 

[Viking]

As a paramedic I can assure you that there are reasons for not switching the siren on:
When you already have a patient in the ambulance it may be to strenuous for the patient as it is hellish loud inside, too.
When you don't have a patient in the ambulance but no siren running the reason may be, that your on your way to a crime scene with the perps still there. In those case the police often orders us to approach the scene silently.
Nevertheless this means that as a paramedic you have to drive very carefully as teh other motorists do not get a proper warning. 'Shooting' at full speed into a location like described by the OP is 'kamikaze'!!

 

[Serena]

Maybe the movie was a warning to be extra careful. I'm glad everyone got through it alright. Hopefully the other driver will be more careful next time.

 

[Shutterbug]

As a paramedic I can assure you that there are reasons for not switching the siren on:
When you already have a patient in the ambulance it may be to strenuous for the patient as it is hellish loud inside, too.
When you don't have a patient in the ambulance but no siren running the reason may be, that your on your way to a crime scene with the perps still there. In those case the police often orders us to approach the scene silently.
Nevertheless this means that as a paramedic you have to drive very carefully as teh other motorists do not get a proper warning. 'Shooting' at full speed into a location like described by the OP is 'kamikaze'!!

I was a certified EMT a long time back and I agree there are several reasons to run silent. There was probably a reason for them not running it this time. The thing is even he had blow his horn a few times while approaching the top of this blind hill it would have helped.

 

[Shutterbug]

Thanks All!!!

 

[kristen821]

As a paramedic I can assure you that there are reasons for not switching the siren on:
When you already have a patient in the ambulance it may be to strenuous for the patient as it is hellish loud inside, too.
When you don't have a patient in the ambulance but no siren running the reason may be, that your on your way to a crime scene with the perps still there. In those case the police often orders us to approach the scene silently.
Nevertheless this means that as a paramedic you have to drive very carefully as teh other motorists do not get a proper warning. 'Shooting' at full speed into a location like described by the OP is 'kamikaze'!!

Thank you for the explanation!