Merry Christmas, lady. Have a felony.

[jaybird210]

From today's Chicago Tribune :

Woman charged in paramedic road rage

By Jason Meisner
Tribune staff reporter
Published December 5, 2006, 5:12 AM CST

A 49-year-old woman was charged with battery this morning after police said she drove onto a sidewalk to get around an ambulance blocking a South Side street, then put her car into reverse with a paramedic's arm caught in her rolled-up window.

Athena Morris, of the 7900 block of South Ellis, was charged with aggravated battery, a felony, and cited for failing to carry her driver's license, reckless driving, criminal trespass to a vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident, police said.

The incident occurred about 2:15 p.m. Monday in the 8200 block of South Langley Avenue, Chicago police said in a statement.

"Paramedics were in the process of loading a patient into the ambulance when the offender attempted to drive around the ambulance onto the curb in the direction of the victims," the statement said.

Paramedics tried to stop her car by reaching inside and turning off the ignition, police said. But she rolled up her window, trapping a paramedic by his arm, and tried to drive away.

With the paramedic's arm still trapped, Morris put the car in reverse, striking several parked cars. She then got out and tried to run, but was arrested nearby, police said.

The paramedic sustained minor injuries but did not need hospital treatment. Morris was treated and released from Jackson Park Hospital.

Police said it was later discovered Morris was driving a rental car without authorization. Further details about the car or how Morris came into possession of it were not released this morning.

Morris was scheduled to appear for a bond hearing on the battery charge at 1 p.m. today at the Criminal Courts Building, police said. She was given a Jan. 2 court date for the traffic citations.

Tribune staff reporter Gerry Doyle contributed.

[OlieCan]

Americas Finest.

[emsff32515]

Americas Finest.

Couldn't have said it better!

[S8ER95Z]

WOW.. i hope she gets something for her ignorance...

[nmfire]

This is why all fire trucks and ambulances should be equipped with spike strips and surface-to-surface missiles.

[Weruj1]

Unreal !!!!!!!!!! Beeyatch !!!!!!

[ChiefReason]

She'll probably sue for emotional stress. Will claim that she thought the paramedic was grabbing for her mommy parts.
She must have read "The Dumbing Down Of America".
CR

[jaybird210]

This happened less then 15 miles from us yesterday. From today's Aurora Beacon-News:

Sandwich teen killed in crash

February 19, 2007
By HEATHER GILLERS Staff Writer

PLANO -- One person was killed and three injured in a three-vehicle collision in Plano Saturday, police said, and a woman was charged with felony aggravated battery, accused of driving through the blocked-off crash site and injuring a firefighter.

Anthony Helm, 18, of the 100 block of West Center Street in Sandwich, was pronounced dead at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, where he was airlifted after the 7:30 p.m. accident at Route 34 and Little Rock Road, police said.

Michael Valent, 22, of the 700 block of Prairie Street in St. Charles, was injured in the crash, as were Donald Laycock, 67, and Diane Sanders, 56, both of the 800 block of Whitlock Avenue in Aurora, police said. All three were transported to Valley West Community Hospital, where Valent and Sanders were treated and released. No condition report was available for Laycock, whom police believe was transferred to another hospital.

No information was available on the circumstances leading up to the crash, which involved a 1990 Honda Accord driven by Helm, a 2003 Buick Century driven by Laycock, and a 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Valent. Sanders was a passenger in Laycock's car.

No charges have been filed against any of the drivers.

Lavore Jude-Rogers, 43, is facing two charges of felony aggravated battery, however, after she plowed through the accident site about 30 minutes after the crash, police said. They said Jude-Rogers, of the 4300 block of Foli Street in Plano, drove past a police officer who was diverting traffic, nearly collided with a helicopter and hit several firefighters, injuring one.

"She didn't run anybody over, but she knocked a couple of them down," said Officer Steven Kuester.

The injured firefighter, a member of the Little Rock-Fox Fire Department, was treated and released from Valley West Community Hospital, police said.

Firefighters from the Sandwich, Newark and Bristol-Kendall fire departments also responded to the crash.

I think I'll make it our policy that all firefighters assigned to traffic control carry a Lightbox flashlight, and as soon as someone disobeys your order to stop, throw that sonufbitch through the back window. I'd also like to send this story to those pin-head state troopers who want to write tickets to the FDs for blocking the road with apparatus.

[DeputyMarshal]

I think I'll make it our policy that all firefighters assigned to traffic control carry a Lightbox flashlight, and as soon as someone disobeys your order to stop, throw that sonufbitch through the back window.

FWIW, Maglights work better. The damn plastic liteboxes tend to bounce off...

[npfd801]

I agree with the Maglite. We were sitting in a parking lot at Rich stadium (I don't think they call it that any longer) in Buffalo, NY when another car's driver must have had his foot slip off the brake. He nudged a police officer standing there (love tap, really) and the cop proceeded to put about six good sized dents in the guy's hood with is Maglite. I never saw a driver roll up his window so fast and lock the doors...

It was pretty funny to watch from the next car over...

[jboczek]

Jay, we've got a new sheriff in our county and I'm going to make sure he gets a copy of the article. The old one told me that "no one tells my guys what to do" (that was after I suggested one of his guys do something. Well, I hope this one doesn't see it that way.

[lauraboczek]

Jay, we've got a new sheriff in our county and I'm going to make sure he gets a copy of the article. The old one told me that "no one tells my guys what to do" (that was after I suggested one of his guys do something. Well, I hope this one doesn't see it that way.

So...THAT'S why I never got hired as a dispatcher all those times I applied for it...j/k

As for the maglite/Lightbox thing, my EMT teacher was a big fan of the 4-D cell Maglite..."it works well for beating idiots about the head or for breaking random **** when necessary" as he used to tell us

[DeputyMarshal]

"it works well for beating idiots about the head or for breaking random **** when necessary" as he used to tell us

And it lights up dark places...

Remember, you carry it to see in poor lighting conditions. Any use for thumping bozos is entirely spontaneous and without forethought or planning.

[lutan1]

Paramedics tried to stop her car by reaching inside and turning off the ignition, police said. But she rolled up her window, trapping a paramedic by his arm, and tried to drive away.

Why?

Whilst I hope they throw the book at her, I've gotta ask, "WTF are the paramedics trying to do?" It's not their job to try and stop the car, and as the incident has proven, probably put them more at risk than just letting her go and reporting her to the proper authorities...

[trainer]

We have 2 types of drivers, the ones who want to stop, and the ones who drive by at 80mph. We have it in good with our cops, state,county, and local, they do what WE want. They will issuse a ticket if we ask, most of the time we don't have to, they are all ready doing it. Maybe it's because our local 7/11 is a hot spot for the dognut crowd. I do like the idea of missiles