The driver of an ambulance rushing to an emergency was exceeding the service's speed limit when his vehicle struck and killed a grandmother, a court heard yesterday.
The St John ambulance driven by Brendan Douglas McInnes struck Marjorie McGill, aged 85, as she crossed Long Drive outside her St Heliers home
in December.
McInnes denies causing her death by dangerous or careless driving, but at a depositions hearing before two justices of the peace in the Auckland District Court yesterday, fellow ambulance officer Joanne Norman said the vehicle was travelling over St John's recommended speed limit.
Miss Norman, who was in the passenger seat of the ambulance, said the St Heliers unit had been answering a priority-one emergency call to a car accident in Sale St in the city just before 11.30 am on Wednesday, December 22.
She was reading a map but looked up when 27-year-old McInnes suddenly shouted out and saw Mrs McGill in the middle of the road.
Miss Norman believed the ambulance had enough time to take evasive action and told McInnes to brake and sound the siren and bull horn. The vehicle's lights were already on.
"We were braking very heavily," she said. "I believe the brakes had locked up.
"The elderly lady showed no indication she had heard the bull horn.
"We were skidding and at that stage I knew we were going to hit the lady and we did so."
The pair got out and did what they could for Mrs McGill, who the court heard might have been going to a postbox across the road from her home.
Miss Norman said: "The speed of the ambulance was unchanged in the time between when he exclaimed and when I said, 'Brake.' The speed was in excess of 80 km/h." She told the JPs that St John's policy for priority-one calls was not to travel more than 30 km/h above the posted speed limit, which in Long Drive was 50 km/h.
An operations manual produced by defence lawyer Gerrard Winter did not have that clause in it.
Miss Norman said it was not the current copy.
Police evidence handed to the court estimated the ambulance's speed at 88 km/h before it started braking.
Mr Winter conceded there was a case to answer.
McInnes was released on bail until the end of next month.
