Okay guys. Let’s play judge and jury. What do you think? Should this guy get a ticket or not? Why or why not?
“LONDONDERRY, N.H. – Their son wasn’t going to wait to be born, so John Coughlin rushed his laboring wife to the hospital. He called 911 when a state trooper tried to pull their car over, and the trooper turned the chase into an escort – then issued him a speeding ticket.
Baby Kyle was born six minutes after the Coughlins arrived at the hospital in Manchester on Sept. 18. After that, Coughlin said the trooper congratulated him, then gave him a ticket for hitting 102 mph. A trial is scheduled for Monday and Coughlin is contesting the ticket.
“I didn’t realize how fast I was going until he gave me the ticket,” Coughlin, of Londonderry, said Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He said he didn’t want to plead guilty because “they said I could lose my license.”
Major Russell Conte said the trooper did the right thing. The speed limit on Interstate 293 was 55 mph, and he contended Coughlin put his wife, unborn child, himself and the public at risk.
When Coughlin’s wife, Angela, heard about ticket, she said she was shocked. “I thought it would get thrown out,” she said.
Kyle is the couple’s second child. They have an 11-year-old daughter.”
Us Girls..Our Views 
I think he should have. He could have stopped for a minute to explain to the officer. He could have hurt too many other people. He was going much too fast. I could even see if he stopped at lights and if the coast was clear to go through them but this guy, to me, sounds like a nut. It wasn’t even their first child.
Yep. Every ticket I ever got, I didn’t know I was going that fast either. Didn’t matter! It’s just a speeding ticket – it’s not like he’s gonna go to jail. I understand why he didn’t want to plead guilty, and I don’t think he should lose his license (unless he did a lot more than simply speed one time). But he should pay the fine like everyone else.
I’ve known many MANY people who’ve had WAY more than 2 speeding tickets and none of them lost their licenses. Me thinks he was in more trouble than this says.
I remember back there were a few years where Paul’s luck was awful. He just got caught time after time speeding. I was really mad because MY insurance went up meanwhile he had a company car and company insurance but personal insurance on MY car was the most expensive because of his tickets. He got, I want to say ticket #4 or 5 in a 6 month time period on the freeway going in the high 90’s and he had to go to court for reckless driving. The cop even smelled his breath and he got off with just a fine. Have times changed that much in 25 years?
I also think he should have gotten the ticket. 102 is WAY TOO FAST especially with your pregnant wife in the car! If they were that worried, then he should have told the 911 dispatcher to send an ambulance to meet them on their way.
I think he shouldve pulled over. He couldve killed them all not to mention others traveling at that speed.
I wasnt finished..
Least the cop didnt write him out the ticket right then and there and make them sit and wait instead he escorted them to the hospital cause of the emergency then issued the ticket.. inwhich i think was right…write him up!! 🙂
I agree… honestly, if he was on the phone with 911, they should have sent an ambulance to meet them.
The guy’s lucky he didn’t get a ticket for being on the phone while driving, too… in some states, that’s illegal.
For sure, he deserves a ticket! I understand he wanted to get there s fast as he could, but common sense says, as safe as you can too! 100 is way too fast! And he thought because of the circumstances, he’d get off….that’s what’s wrong with the world today.
102 mph? Let’s get real….he deserves a ticket!!! He’s actually lucky he didn’t get more than 1. That aslo comes under the heading or “reckless endangerment”. Laura’s right about the phone thing. Not only that, but going 102 mph AND being on the cell???? Obviously this guy isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed!! 😦
I forgot to mention, that it is possible he’d lose his license because that’s almost 50 over the posted limit. Here you can lose your license for a period of time for going 25-30 over the posted limit. 😦
Which cracks me up, because if you DON’T go 25 over the posted limit? You’re road toast.
Sorry I’m a little late getting to this.
Not only should he get a ticket but he should have a provional license (only to work and home).
He could have dialed 911 from his cell phone to let the coppers know what was going on.
I can’t wait to see this guy in the news again as he parents his child. There will be excuses for other things, just wait.