A north-east MSP is demanding a review of the way the way the Crown Office treats cases involving emergency service drivers.
Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald has written to Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland amid concerns police officers, ambulance crews and fire brigade staff could face prosecution for simply doing their jobs.
The Labour politician decided to intervene after police firearms officer John Kearney and ambulance driver Kristine Hutchison – who had been responding to separate 999 calls – were charged with dangerous and careless driving respectively.
In May, Mr Kearney was granted an absolute discharge by Sheriff Annella Cowan after he admitted driving dangerously by speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road and going through red lights in order to get to two emergencies in the north-east.
A month later, the Crown dropped a careless driving charge Ms Hutchison was facing – on the day she was due to go to trial.
She had been on her way to an emergency when she drove through a red light in Aberdeen at less than 10mph.
The ambulance’s flashing blue lights and sirens were on – but it collided with an oncoming car, which failed to stop or pull over to let it pass.
As a result of the crash, car driver Niamh Maloney was injured.
Last night, Mr Macdonald said emergency workers should be able to carry out their jobs without fear of prosecution.
He said: “We have seen two examples of emergency drivers facing prosecution just for doing their jobs in Aberdeen this summer.
“In one a police officer was given an absolute discharge, and in the other the case against an ambulance driver was dropped on the day she was due to appear in court.
“The public rely on the experience and skill of these emergency drivers to ensure that help is on hand when it is needed.
“If drivers are worried that they will face prosecution for speeding or going through a red light, even though they are trained to do so safely, then it is the public who will suffer.
“Following discussion with the Scottish Police Federation and the Unite union, I have raised these issues with the Lord Advocate, asking him to review the Crown Office’s approach to how cases against emergency service drivers are dealt with.
“Emergency service drivers need to know that they have the backing and confidence of the authorities, and I believe an urgent review is required.”